Operation 8

Someone Else’s Country looks critically at the radical economic changes implemented by the 1984 Labour Government - where privatisation of state assets was part of a wider agenda that sought to remake New Zealand as a model free market state. The trickle-down ‘Rogernomics’ rhetoric warned of no gain without pain, and here the theory is counterpointed by the social effects (redundant workers, Post Office closures). Made by Alister Barry in 1996 when the effects were raw, the film draws extensively on archive footage and interviews with key “witnesses to history”.

An animated documentary that speaks to immigrants' personal experiences living in Aotearoa, exploring themes of racism, discrimination, loss, loneliness, and maintaining cultural ties while living in another country.

The story of unemployment in New Zealand and In A Land of Plenty is an exploration of just that; it takes as its starting point the consensus from The Depression onwards that Godzone economic policy should focus on achieving full employment, and explores how this was radically shifted by the 1984 Labour government. Director Alister Barry's perspective is clear, as he trains a humanist lens on ‘Rogernomics' to argue for the policy's negative effects on society, as a new poverty-stricken underclass developed.

Merata Mita, Leon Narbey and Gerd Pohlmann’s powerful documentary Bastion Point: Day 507 depicts the eviction of protestors from Bastion Point during the struggle for Māori land rights.

A Lord of the Rings tour guide in New Zealand processes his grief in a wonderful way.

The Vietnam War protest movement from the student point of view is the basis for this documentary shot in the San Francisco Bay area and dealing mainly with a protest march from the University of California to the Oakland Army Terminal in 1966.

Der Schatz von Timbuktu, die Geschichte einer Rettung

New Zealand is home to ancient forests. The old trees that inhabit them have kept these forests alive for thousands of years. Majestic and powerful, these giants now face threats that weaken them. Invasive species, parasitic diseases, and fragmentation weigh on the future of these unique trees. Scientists and forest guardians take turns in the field to protect this remarkable and fragile forest, ready to be reborn.

In 1999, the largely conservative Wairarapa district in New Zealand elected a former cabaret performer/actress named Georgina Beyer to the country's House of Parliament -- a seemingly unremarkable event in that country's history except for the fact that Beyer is a transsexual and may very well be the first transsexual in the world to be elected to a national office. In their 2002 biographical documentary Georgie Girl, co-directors Peter Wells and Annie Goldson highlight the popular Member of Parliament's rapid rise through local government to prominence in the New Zealand national government.

An anti-war documentary featuring original on-the-ground footage and interviews from the 1999 NATO war against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Watch the 78 days of untold destruction, bombing bridges, hospitals, schools, and dropping up to 11 tons of depleted uranium across the country that NATO considers a successful “humanitarian intervention” in Yugoslavia. Filmmaker Gloria La Riva lifts the veil of imperialist propaganda to reveal the humanitarian crisis caused by the war.

Conservationist Sam the Trap Man brings to life the vision of "Recloaking Papatūānuku" - a bold initiative to restore and regenerate over 2 million hectares of Aotearoa's native bush and wetlands.

Follow the charming Aotearoa New Zealand singer-songwriter on a life-changing journey of self-exploration as he embraces his roots and creates his first album in te reo Māori.

A gripping film chronicling Māori in a defiant struggle against systemic racism and colonial injustice to reclaim their fishing rights. Through resilience and legal strategy, they secured their place in the industry, marking a landmark victory for Indigenous sovereignty. Thirty years later, the fight for equity and environmental stewardship continues.

Examines the violence and civil disobedience leading up to the hallmark decision in U.S. v. Washington, with particular reference to the Nisqually Indians of Frank's Landing in Washington.

In the years since New Zealand politicians began to grapple with climate change our greenhouse gas emissions have burgeoned. Alister Barry’s doco draws on TV archives and interviews with key participants to find out why.

A history about what happened the September 30th, 2010, with former Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa (himself) and other affected people that'll tell us about what happened this fatidic day.

Whoever came up with the term 'bird brain' never met these feathered thinkers, who use their claws and beaks to solve puzzles, make tools and more.

Researchers investigate whether orcas have begun hunting great white sharks off the coast of New Zealand.

The film highlights the diverse psychological and political consequences of covert police operations. The undercover police officer, Iris P., investigated the Hamburg left scene as "Iris Schneider" for nearly six years. She had close friendships, and she had several years of intimate relations with people, who at the same she spied upon. After Iris P. was publicly unmasked in 2014, two more clandestine investigators were revealed as well. However, public surveillance can also affect people who would have considered it impossible. This is illustrated by the case of the police officer Simon B., who enrolled in the University of Heidelberg, to spy out peaceful left-wing students.

Southern New Zealand is home to an incredible diversity of penguins; each species has its mode of reproduction, its habits of brooding and teaching its young.