And NZ On Screen's Anzac Day collection features more than 60 films and documentaries telling the stories of New Zealanders at war.
Gallipoli: the New Zealand Story
This documentary tells the story of the defining Gallipoli campaign in World War I in which 2721 New Zealanders lost their lives. It was filmed in the barren desert of Gallipoli and featured interviews with then-surviving veterans. It screened in 1984 and won a Feltex Award for Best Documentary.
Great War Stories
This series, which screened from 2014 to 2018, is a collection of 35 four-minute mini documentaries recalling Kiwis' experiences in the conflict of World War I, from soldiers to pilots to nurses to rugby players. It was directed and produced by Anna Cottrell (Children of Gallipoli).
War Years
This 1983 film compiles footage from the National Film Unit's Weekly Review newsreel series. Covering campaigns from Africa to Europe to the Pacific, it also shows what life was like on the home front.
Chunuk Bair
This feature tells the story of the ill-fated offensive campaign of August 8, 1915, when the Wellington Battalion seized the peak Chunuk Bair overlooking the Dardanelles and suffered huge losses. Based on Maurice Shadbolt's play Once on Chunuk Bair, it was filmed on the Wainuiomata coast and on set in Avalon.
Tama Tū
Taika Waititi's short film shot in the ruins of the old Wellington Hospital is a must-see. It features six Māori Battalion soldiers waiting for night to fall camped out in Italian ruins. The night sees them joke and laugh before coming back to reality and gathering to say a karakia before returning to the conflict. Waititi described the characters as having "a special bond, strengthened by their character, their culture and each other". It won international acclaim and many awards.
Māori Battalion - March to Victory
The story of the 28th Māori Battalion is told in this feature length documentary. Written and directed by Tainui Stephens, it tells the stories of five men who served in the unit and captures "how they felt about it". Narrated by actor George Henare, it includes archival footage, remembrances, and visits to historic sites in tribute to those who fought in the Battalion.
