Adventures in Māoriland - Alexander Markey and the Making of Hei Tiki

After being fired from film Under the Southern Cross in the late 1920s, American director Alexander Markey returned to New Zealand to make Hei Tiki. After a rocky shoot, mostly around Taupō, he departed Aotearoa, leaving badwill and fears he'd stolen precious taonga. Inspired partly by Māori legend, Hei Tiki quickly sank on its release in 1935, caught between the days of silents and the new era of talkies. This documentary features Hei Tiki clips and interviews with cast and crew — including male lead Ben Biddle, caterer Margaret Goulding and pioneering cameraman Ted Coubray, who suffered financially from the experience.  

Was he a crook? Probably not; a romantic with a dream of creation which got out of control. He attempted to produce a film in the period when cinema went through its biggest change ever, from the silent era to the talkies.

– Narrator Martyn Sanderson, at the end of this documentary

Key Cast & Crew

Alexander Markey

Subject

John Maynard

Producer

Ted (Edwin) Coubray

Subject

Alan Locke

Cinematographer

Geoff Steven

Director, Writer

Martyn Sanderson

Narrator