Appropriately,
the evening event took place at Nga Taonga Sound &
Vision, the home of New Zealand’s film archive and a key partner in this
account of the dawn of film in Aotearoa.
 |
| Christopher Pugsley speaks at the launch |
Author Dr Christopher Pugsley spoke of his long journey to uncover the
story of our early filmmakers and cinema impresarios, and his gratitude to the
many collaborators and experts who supported him along the way.
 |
| Sarah Davy of Nga Taonga Sound & Vision |
Nga Taonga Sound & Vision Group Manager Information Services Sarah
Davy spoke of the pride the organisation feels at seeking the film history brilliantly
captured in print form, and of the work that is going in to accompanying the book
with online film footage and information.
And of course,
there were cameras in attendance! A selection of photos follows.
Christopher Pugsley is a
respected and much published military historian – but what is not as well known
is that he has a passion and a deep knowledge of film history. Pugsley's new
book, The Camera in the Crowd, is the result of nearly three decades of
research – the story of film in New Zealand for its first 25 years, 1895-1920,
told largely through the footage that has survived in the archive of Nga Taonga
Sound & Vision. It covers the last years of the Victorian era and the first
two decades of the 20th century – a period that encompassed great political,
technological and cultural changes, including the First World War. It tells of
the cameramen, of the film they took - not only at home but also of the Kiwi
'Diggers' in the First World War - and how the public reacted to it.
Click here to
hear the interview:
And here are
additional links to other coverage:
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