Aspiring

This documentary revisits six eventful weeks in 1949. Led by cameraman Brian Brake, an all-star art team — James K Baxter as scriptwriter, composer Douglas Lilburn and painter John Drawbridge (all under 30; Drawbridge was 19) — attempt to make a 'cinematic poem' about an ascent of Mt Aspiring. Baxter's notes on the trip evolved into his poem In the Matukituki Valley. Aspiring features a lost script, Drawbridge's memories (he recalls storyboards for a snow cave light show here) and a surprise ending. View footage of the never-completed film after the excerpt.

...John Drawbridge was the sole surviving member of the original shoot. He travelled back to the Matukituki Valley with the film crew, revisited the Aspiring Hut, reliving his earlier experience "of both confinement and liberation away from society ... and being together as a group for what seemed like a long time".

– Scriptwriter Gregory O'Brien on the new Aspiring documentary, 3 June 2006

Key Cast & Crew

Yvonne Mackay

Director

Gary Scott

Producer

Gregory O'Brien

Writer

Brian Brake

Subject

Paul Sutorius

Editor

David Paul

Camera