Fascinating New Zealand

There are landscapes that hardly anyone has seen or entered: In FASCINATING NEW ZEALAND we embark on a journey across both islands of the country, from the southernmost tip to the northernmost point.

Year

2020

Length

2×45 min, 90 min

Director

Tuan Lam, Bruce Morrison, Mark Strickson

Discovering the astonishing diversity of this natural paradise, we get to know the islands by land, by sea and from the air. Aerial shots, navigated by “Lord of the Rings” legend Alfie Speight, tell the story of how New Zealand originated: rugged fjords, high mountain peaks, steaming volcanic landscapes and bizarre cave systems. These are crossed with lush rainforests and fields that profit from the fertile volcanic soil.

The country is isolated in the streams of the Pacific Ocean—allowing the development of unique flora and fauna. The viewer will explore the cold rainforest, impressively giant trees, huge eels and grasshoppers, predatory snails and running birds such as the Kakapo or the Kiwi. Since time immemorial, the face of the country has changed steadily—up until this very day.

A journey through the middle of New Zealand —in search of the essence, the source of life. The beauty of the country makes us aware of the treasures we destroy. In New Zealand, too, climate change is causing huge damages, glaciers melt, forests were replaced by pastureland, cleared for the agricultural industry, the most important economic pillar alongside tourism. New Zealand is facing major challenges and is responding with a radical environmental policy.

Credits

Directed by

Tuan Lam, Bruce Morrison, Mark Strickson

Director of Photography

Scott Mouat

Drone

Alfie Speight, Andy Salek

Sound Recordists

John Patrick, Mark Messenger

Editing

Oliver Szyza

Additional Editing

Florian Conrad

Music

Eike Hosenfeld,
Ingo Ludwig Frenzel, Moritz Denis

Narrator

Ian Dickinson

Graphics

Uli Streckenbach

Sound Mix

Karl Gerhardt, Jörg Höhne

Scientific Expert

Prof. Carsten Münker

Producer

Kerstin Meyer-Beetz

Junior Producer

Julia Krampe

Line Producer

Kathrin Isberner

Produced by

Christian Beetz

Commissioning Editor

Marita Hübinger (ZDF | ARTE)

Sales & distribution

Trailer

„Just in diesem Moment überraschen uns die aus dem Theaterbereich stammenden jungen Regisseure Hans Block und Moritz Riesewieck mit einem erstaunlichen Dokumentarfilm, der seit Monaten Publikum und Kritik auf den wichtigsten Festivals der Welt elektrisiert. Völlig zu Recht: Es ist, als würden einem die Scheuklappen weggerissen, als sähe man das, was sich seit Jahren direkt vor unseren Augen abspielt, zum ersten Mal unverschleiert... eine fesselnde ,Doku noir' mit höchstem Anspruch...Dieser Film müsste an allen Schulen gezeigt werden.“

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

17.05.2018