A Portrait of Michael Smither

In this intimate documentary painter Michael Smither lays bare his life — from a stern Catholic childhood in New Plymouth to the inspiration of Central Otago to his senior years in Otama Beach, collaborating on natural artworks. Smither is best known for his unflinching portraits of family life, works like 'Sarah with Baked Beans' which capture the untamed energy of small children. Smither acknowledges the hardship behind these famous paintings, and the toll it took on his first marriage. Ex-partners (including novelist Rachel McAlpine) open up about their time with Smither. 

The official view of children was that they were these sort of little saints, they were so unreal as to what children were really like that I felt a real need to redress the balance...children have such passion about what they do.

– Artist Michael Smither talks about his early often unsparing portraits of family life

Key Cast & Crew

Michael Smither

Composer, Subject

Andrew Bancroft

Director, Writer, Editor

Owen Hughes

Producer

Richard Flynn

Sound

Anthony Nevison

Sound

Jac Fitzgerald

Camera