New Zealand Cinema

The first full-length study of New Zealand cinema, this book explores a series of recurring themes and issues - law and authority, post-settler identity, neo-colonialism, Asia-Pacific diasporas, the Kiwi Gothic, and the reworking of American genres - across more than a hundred years of New Zealand film history. It presents critical readings of a diverse range of films - shorts, features, and documentaries - and considers the work of directors, producers, cinematographers and actors. The marketing of New Zealand film is addressed and is part of a wider cultural framework that approaches this national cinema through consumption, control and regulation, cultural policies and local and international media. Drawing on a private archive of pre-cinema New Zealand, this book also includes a study of stereoviews and magic lantern slides. Films discussed include: Whale Rider, Utu, Vigil, Once Were Warriors, Sione's Wedding, In My Father's Den, and Black Sheep. This is an excellent guide for anyone studying and researching world cinema, especially those interested in Asia-Pacific or Postcolonial Cinema.