50 years of Endeavour
There’s a couple of special screenings coming up this weekend to commemorate the 50th Anniversary, on 17 March 2008, of the return to New Zealand of HMNZS Endeavour with the members of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition.
The 1955–58 Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition (CTAE) was Commonwealth-sponsored and successfully completed the first overland crossing of Antarctica, via the South Pole.
Funded by the governments of the UK, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, as well as private and corporate donations under the patronage of Queen Elizabeth II, the expedition was headed by British explorer Dr Vivian Fuchs, with the late Sir Edmund Hillary leading a supply support team.
While Sir Ed’s supply party beat the English led group to the South Pole (being only the third group to reach the Pole overland after Amundsen in 1911 and Scott in 1912), the expedition arrived at Scott Base on 2 March, 1958, having crossed 3,473 km of previously unexplored snow and ice in 99 days.
The programme, presented in association with Antarctic Research Centre (Victoria University of Wellington), includes footage of the departure and return of the CTAE expedition, stunning film from on the ice, as well as classic film segments celebrating New Zealand’s Antarctic connection over the last 50 years.
Friday 14, Saturday 15 March at 7pm
Entry by koha
75 mins
Belonging somewhere
Opening tomorrow night at the Film Archive – Wellington multi-media artist Sarah Jane Parton presents her wacky take on the future…
Well known for her beguiling video and installation work (and love of lycra leotards) Parton has assembled a cast and crew of Wellington’s finest to create a sci-fi musical odyssey starring Toi Whakaari graduates Antonia Bale, Anja Tate-Manning (Chapman-Tripp award winner), and Jade Daniels, alongside theatre veteran Rose Beauchamp, dancer Sam Lahood and a bevy of young and talented children.
With music performed by a live band featuring the members of Cassette under the musical direction of Parton’s partner Luke Buda (Phoenix Foundation), fronted by the perpetually hilarious Jo Randerson, the show contains a reasonable degree of cynicism, offset by moments of absurdity and humour.
In this cross-genre work, ideological meltdown is imminent, the revolution is doomed long before it begins and audience members are advised to bring a blanket.
PERFORMANCE DETAILS
Thursday 28, Friday 29 February and Saturday 1 March at 7pm
at The Film Archive, cnr Taranaki and Ghuznee Streets
Tickets:
Full Price – $15,
Concession – $13,
Fringe Addict – $12
Read Brannavan Gnanlingam’s great interview about the show
here
Big Moments on screen tonight
Come check out: Life in NZ from the 1950s to the 1980s!
The Friends of the Film Archive are launching their 2008 season with a 70-minute romp through pivotal moments in New Zealand’s recent history.
Beginning with the glorious coloured trailer hailing Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953, through to David Lange’s brilliant oratory declaration of New Zealand’s Nuclear Free status in 1985, it all adds up to give a picture of the culture that has shaped the Baby Boomer generation.
Tonight, Thursday 21 Feb, 7pm
70 minutes
Entry by koha
My picks are the New Zealand Primary Schools at Work- A five-year-old arrives with his mother on his first day at school and joins activities in the new entrant’s class.
But even better is Miss New Zealand, NZBC, 1973 (excerpt)
Miss Southland is introduced and totters onto the stage in her platforms!!!!!
Ice Ice Baby
Tonight come along to the Film Archive (corner of Taranaki and Ghuznee Sts) to the opening of à jaðrinum (transl. on the edge), a collection of 15 recent video works from Iceland, curated by Leonhard Emmerling, from 5:30pm.
The Archive will be revealing its mediagallery (a contemporary film and video gallery) programme for the next SIX months with a FREE GIFT. There’ll also be live musical performance by The Droszkhi & Riffkah Space Disko! – Hit (and miss) Signals from the Cosmos presented by Bek Coogan (Cortina) and Torben Tilly (Minit, Bad Statistics).
The artists in à jaðrinum explore a number of themes inspired by the cultural and geographical myths of Iceland; from melancholic self-effacement, to desolate landscapes and…erm, pixies.
Daddy Doo
Male Parenting – it’s not all soft toys, breast feeding and Mexican wrestling.
More great entertainment from the New Zealand Film Archive mediagallery, with Wellington artist Bryce Galloway’s new show – “Daddy Doo” – a video installation inspired by the world of male parenting, starting today (July 20th), and running through to the 4th of August.
You may already be aware of Bryce’s through his ‘zine Incredibly Hot Sex with Hideous People which has chronicled his life as a parent over the past four years. If so, you’d know you’ll be in for hilarious, surreal entertaiment. As the publicity blurb says…
More info over at the NZFA site.
Why Science Fiction is the only legitimate artform of the 20th and 21st centuries
Local artist, writer and intellectual David Cauchi is giving an address at the Film Archive on Saturday afternoon.
David is a right old character, and also the painter of one of my favourite works of art – entitled The fab four (Tasman, Cook, Du Fresne, De Surville) (above).
More info after the jump.
The New Zealand Film Archive
This lunchtime, I popped downstairs & around the corner from the Wellingtonista Towers, to the NZ Film Archive & spent a fascinating wee while browsing their catalogue of VCRs & DVDs. I tried picking the brain of the technician on duty in the Media Library, but he was just relieving & had sketchy information at […]
Kaikohe Demolition
A reminder that the Film Archive’s Media Theatre has a couple more screeings of the excellent Kaikohe Demolition documentary later this week, on Saturday 14 May at 6pm and 7:30pm. …[A] documentary by intrepid New Zealand filmmaker Florian Habicht captures the gracefulness and poetry of demolition derbies. Ah, yes: there is a harsh, strangely lyrical […]
The Oxford Union Debate on Nuclear Weapons
If you’re still looking for things to do after being harangued by street performing Estonians later this evening, then head along to the Film Archive on Taranaki Street, where they’re screening the famous 1985 Oxford Union Debate on Nuclear Weapons, in which our PM, David Lange debated and defeated the then American Moral Majority leader, […]