Director Roger Donaldson's 1977 movie of CK Stead novel Smith's Dream helped spark a new wave of Kiwi cinema. Getting there was a cash-strapped, bare knuckle ride. In this documentary cast and crew recall a communal film set that was "constantly on the go" as they pulled together drama, car chases and gun battles using mainly ingenuity. The film was a launching pad for Donaldson, Ian Mune and actor Sam Neill, who admits he was a lot like his role of "novice" Smith. The trio revisit Coromandel locations with effects man Geoff Murphy, and swap memories of luck, near misses, and political heat.