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New Zealander Brad McGann, who gained worldwide acclaim with his sole feature film In My Father's Den, died this week in Auckland of cancer.
"In My Father's Den is, I think, one of the star films in the canon of New Zealand cinema, and to lose a talent like him is a real loss," said Film Commission chief executive Ruth Harley.
Based on a novel by Maurice Gee, the film won nine awards at the New Zealand Screen Awards in 2005, including best picture and best director.
It also won an International Critics Award at the prestigious Toronto Film Festival and numerous other film awards, and helped to launch the career of actress Emily Barclay.
"That award cited the film's 'emotional maturity, striking performances and visual grace' and that well sums up Brad's place in our film culture," Dr Harley said.
McGann also had earlier success with short films, especially with Possum (1997).
Dr Harley said McGann had been diagnosed with bowel cancer 10 years ago.
"He believed he had beaten it when he started filming In My Father's Den," she said.
"But by the time he was publicising the film it had returned."
Many people in the film industry, including Sam Neill, Peter Jackson, Roger Donaldson, Ian Mune and Vincent Ward, helped to raise $60,000 in 2005 so McGann could receive an $80,000 treatment for the cancer starting in January last year.
"The treatment enabled him to get an extra year of life, and it was quality life," Dr Harley said.
McGann had hoped to be well enough to make a short film about his personal experience of living with cancer.
"For me, it's about affirming the notion that life goes on, "he explained in an interview last year. "If I can do anything that can separate the word 'death' from the word 'cancer', then I'll do it".
McGann was made a Member of the Order of New Zealand in 2006.
- NZPA
