NZ On Screen has compiled its list of the Top 10 New Zealand Feature Films of All Time, one that will provoke as many agreeing nods as it will voices shouting “But where’s [put Kiwi film here]!?”
The list is a combination of gut feelings and opinions of the NZ On Screen team (including Paul Stanley Ward, Gemma Gracewood, Ian Pryor, and Kim Baker) as well as the impact of the films themselves — awards, box office, reviews, international success, and the extent to which they have passed into the Kiwi consciousness.
Here’s the list (ordered by release date):
Goodbye Pork Pie (1981)
Smash Palace (1981)
Utu (1983)
Vigil (1984)
The Piano (1993)
Heavenly Creatures (1994)
Once Were Warriors (1994)
Whale Rider (2002)
In My Father’s Den (2004)
Boy (2010)
You can read the extensively well-argued justification for each film placing on the official website as well as their honourable mentions. You can also check out the Top 20 highest grossing NZ Films of all time for comparison.
What exempted Kiwi flicks would you have in your personal Top 10? We know exactly what you’re thinking: where the hell is Never Say Die!?
