COVID restrictions no dimmer on students creative practice
The unexpected lockdown and changing alert levels had many effects on our students in trimester two. Our FILM 311: Documentary Production students share their experiences creating documentary films in these difficult circumstances.
“All those involved had to return a health declaration form, wear masks, practice physical distancing, and use the production QR code to register on the NZ COVID Tracer app,” Rise and Grind producer Jess Hockey explains. “We had to come up with new strategies alongside working in a new filming environment. We were living week-by-week”.
“There were a lot of logistical issues to arrange in a short time frame,” says Forgetting the Fireworks producer Cathy Woods. “We were really lucky to have interviewees that were flexible and a crew that went above and beyond to get the film made”.
Though the processes in pre-production and filming became more complicated, the students appreciated the rigour. “It meant I knew when we were filming, we were doing it safely,” says Qona producer Stella Whitfield.
All the students voiced the pride they had in their crews for overcoming the challenges and working together to get the films made. As Mau Whenua co-director Tara Handa explains, this worked because of the conscious effort made by the crews: “We put a lot of time in behind the scenes as a crew to become close and we all cared so deeply about the documentary’s subject. The most important thing we learned from this project is the value of people, and by opening yourself up to learning and listening, the connections you can build are truly beautiful”.
“The thing about filmmaking that appeals to me is the sense of community you get within your crew,” says Stella, “working on this film and growing that community was a really rewarding experience”.
“In the face of the extra challenges, students gained an even greater sense of purpose and clarity,” says Thierry Jutel, the course coordinator. “And there was sheer enjoyment, when we got to level 2, in being able to work, be together, and share the product of the creative labour. We ran the documentary production course under the theme of “encounters” this year as a means of encouraging students to engage with people and groups outside of their immediate circles. The students responded to this by reaching out and attending to very diverse groups and circumstances. I did not expect “encounters” would extend to the class itself and highlight the cooperative and supportive values of a university course as a community in itself”.
About the films:
Qona: When a 22-year-old parking warden sits down to discuss the stigma and abuse that she faces in her job, she also reveals that she is a black-belt, judo champion.
Forgetting the Fireworks: Director James Millington investigates a fifty-year-old urban myth that sounds too good to be true. When U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson visited Wellington in 1966, he supposedly took a ride on the cable car. As the cable car passed Weir House, the residents threw water bombs and fireworks at the U.S. President. James looks into the past and learns what life was like for New Zealanders when the most powerful man in the world came to visit the country, and how fantastic true stories become myths.
Rise and Grind: Hurtle into the hilarious and dark world of university hustle culture as two eccentric students pull all-nighters and suffer caffeine overdoses to meet their assignment deadlines, all the while asking the question—is the cost of a 24/7 grind lifestyle really worth it?
Mau Whenua: ‘Mau Whenua’ provides an intimate insight into the Mau Whenua occupation of Marukaikuru/Shelly Bay. The film follows the stories of different Mau Whenua occupants as they share their experiences fighting an inter-generational battle and exploring what it means to be kaitiaki.