Strata

In this riff on the European art film, a loner vulcanologist (British actor Nigel Davenport) roams the Volcanic Plateau, followed by a writer (Australian Judy Morris) and a photographer (John Banas). Roaming nearby are five escapees from a quarantine facility. Geoff Steven's moody tale marked an early departure from the realism of the Kiwi movie renaissance (e.g. Steven’s Skin Deep). Stevens wrote it with Czech New Wave figure Ester Krumbachova, aided by Czech-Kiwi Michael Havas. Mike Nock handles the piano score; as the opening sequence reveals, White Island provides some of the film's most imposing images.