Bill Direen: A Memory of Others

Filmmaker Simon Ogston's "expressionistic and cinematic" approach to documentary Bill Direen - A Memory of Others reflects his subject's eclectic career. Musician, poet and novelist Bill Direen was born in Christchurch; in this excerpt, he visits the city's town hall to recall the effect Shakespeare's Henry V had on him as a child. In Wellington Direen visits his sister's classroom and is quizzed by the students, before performing his 'grandmother' song. A Memory of Others joins Ogston's other documentaries celebrating 'art punks', including Sheen of Gold. Direen aficionados won't want to miss the info-packed closing credits.

Bill's profile is not as high as it might be ... and that's one reason I made this film. He's veered from folk to rock and several other music genres, as well as a lot of novels and poetry and theatre work, and he lived in Paris and Berlin for ten years or so. It's not easy to follow his winding career, and there's probably not many out there who love everything Bill's done.

– Director Simon Ogston on the many talents of Bill Direen, Stuff, 30 July 2017

Key Cast & Crew

Orlando Stewart

Executive Producer, Additional Camera Operator

Jeff Smith

Cinematographer

Nick Bollinger

Subject

Dick Reade

Sound Mix

Simon Ogston

Director, Cinematographer, Editor, Producer

Andre Vroon

Additional Camera Operator