Hinemoa (1914 film)
Encyclopedia
Hinemoa was an early film produced in New Zealand
in 1914. It was claimed to be the first feature film produced in New Zealand, although it should not be confused with a film of the same name
shot by Gaston Méliès
a year earlier. It was billed as "The first big dramatic work filmed and acted in the land of the Moa"
The film was shot on location around Rotorua
in only 8 days. All the cast members were drawn from the Reverend F.A. Bennett's Māori choir.
The promotional image of Hinemoa featured on the 40c stamp of the New Zealand Post 1996 "Centenary of New Zealand Cinema" stamp issue.
The New Zealand Film Archive lists in its holdings tape of an undated radio interview with George Tarr and Hera Tawhai Rodgers about the making of the film. (Rodgers was 76 at the time of the interview, so it was probably in the 1960s)
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
in 1914. It was claimed to be the first feature film produced in New Zealand, although it should not be confused with a film of the same name
Hinemoa (1913 film)
Hinemoa was a silent film made in New Zealand by Gaston Méliès in 1913. It is probably the first feature film produced in New Zealand, although it is doubtful that it ever screened in the country.-Plot:...
shot by Gaston Méliès
Gaston Méliès
Gaston Méliès was the brother of the more-famous French film director Georges Méliès. He also produced and directed a large number of early films in the United States....
a year earlier. It was billed as "The first big dramatic work filmed and acted in the land of the Moa"
Plot
The film told the Māori legend of Hinemoa and Tutanekai. No prints are known to have survived.Production
The ₤50 budget was funded by Edward Anderson, of the Auckland Chamber of CommerceThe film was shot on location around Rotorua
Rotorua
Rotorua is a city on the southern shores of the lake of the same name, in the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand. The city is the seat of the Rotorua District, a territorial authority encompassing the city and several other nearby towns...
in only 8 days. All the cast members were drawn from the Reverend F.A. Bennett's Māori choir.
Legacy
The film opened at the Lyric Theatre, Auckland during the first week of World War I, and performed well. It then toured the country and was later exhibited overseas.The promotional image of Hinemoa featured on the 40c stamp of the New Zealand Post 1996 "Centenary of New Zealand Cinema" stamp issue.
The New Zealand Film Archive lists in its holdings tape of an undated radio interview with George Tarr and Hera Tawhai Rodgers about the making of the film. (Rodgers was 76 at the time of the interview, so it was probably in the 1960s)