“The film that moved a nation”
The movie that wowed audiences at Expo 70. The film combined scenic images including aerial cinematography with rousing classical music such as Sibelius' Karelia Suite. Using then ground-breaking technology, the film required three separate but synchronised 35mm film projectors which projected their images onto an extra-wide screen. In 2004/2005 Archives New Zealand commissioned a restoration at post production facility, Park Road Post. Hugh Macdonald, the original director, was involved in the restoration and Kit Rollings, the original sound mixer assisted with the updated soundtrack. The remastered film was released for sale on DVD in 2014.
Director
Writer
Status
Released
Original Language
EN
Budget
$150,000
Revenue
$22,224
Cameramen and women discuss the craft and art of cinematography and of the "DP" (the director of photography), illustrating their points with clips from 100 films, from Birth of a Nation to Do the Right Thing. Themes: the DP tells people where to look; changes in movies (the arrival of sound, color, and wide screens) required creative responses from DPs; and, these artisans constantly invent new equipment and try new things, with wonderful results. The narration takes us through the identifiable studio styles of the 30s, the emergence of noir, the New York look, and the impact of Europeans. Citizen Kane, The Conformist, and Gordon Willis get special attention.
