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Snow of Aorangi (1950) – 2 parts
Shot by photographer Brian Brake as a NFU tourism promo, Snows of Aorangi surveys New Zealand’s mountain landscapes. Brake captures stunning imagery: ethereal ice forests, lightning storms, volcanic craters, glaciers, avalanches, kea. Three skiers are mesmerising as they scythe downhill from Alma Hutt: “for a little while they’ve given themselves to the rhythm of sky and earth” runs the James K. Baxter-scripted narration. It was the first NZ film to compete for an Oscar, nominated in the Best Short Subject (Live Action) category in 1958.

Flare – A Ski Trip (1977) – 3 parts
This short documentary about skiing was directed for the NZ Tourist and Publicity Department by Sam Neill (who would shortly achieve fame as an actor). This was one of several documentaries directed by Neill while at the National Film Unit. Others subjects included the Red Mole theatre troupe and architect Ian Athfield. The skiers put on daring displays of their art, before skiing an active volcano. Locations include Mount Hutt, Queenstown and Tongariro National Park. The film was translated into French, Japanese, Italian, German and Spanish.

The Leading Edge (1987) – 6 parts
Michael Firth’s follow-up to his 1977 Oscar-nominated ski documentary Off the Edge, but this time with a plot and scripted dialogue. Canadian Matt hitches from Auckland to meet a bunch of Kiwi extreme thrill-seekers at a southern ski field. They throw themselves off volcanoes, glaciers, mountains and into an Iron Man with “get more go” abandon. Cinematographer Stuart Dryburgh’s first feature (“I was relatively cheap and I could ski”) the film is notable for its action sequences (set to an 80′s pop soundtrack) and Billy T James as a mad pilot.

Enjoy…