Early Days Yet

Videos, NZ On Screen

Directed by Shirley Horrocks, Early Days Yet is a 73-minute documentary about New Zealand poet and editor Allen Curnow, made in the last months of his life. The poet talks about his South Island upbringing, his life and work, and visits the places that inspired his most important poems. Fellow New Zealand poets like Bill Manhire and Elizabeth Smither discuss Curnow's significance as an advocate for New Zealand poetry. As Curnow famously mused in front of a moa skeleton at Canterbury Museum: "Not I, some child, born in a marvellous year / Will learn the trick of standing upright here." Read more about the documentary here. 

A Week of It - Series Two, Episode 15

Videos, NZ On Screen

This episode from the second series of pioneering comedy show A Week of It takes a light-hearted look at issues of the day: sporting contact with South Africa, the 1978 election, traffic cops against coupling in cars, dawn raids in Ponsonby, weather girls struggling with te reo, and bread and newspaper strikes. Censorship campaigner Patricia Bartlett struggles with a French stick, and beer baron Sir Justin Ebriated is interviewed. John Walker, "current world record holder for selling cans of Fresh Up", is sent up, and there's a racing-themed "geegees Wayne" sign off.