Whanganui-made Richard Wotton documentary selected for Seoul International Architecture Film Festival

Whanganui photographer Richard Wotton shares his love for Whanganui architecture in a Double Farley documentary screening in Seoul next month. Photo / Double Farley

The Double Farley documentary Richard Wotton: Moments Later, featuring celebrated Whanganui photographer Richard Wotton, will screen at the prestigious Seoul International Architecture Film Festival next month.

Directed by Whanganui filmmaker Kevin Double and produced by Melita Farley, the 12-minute film delves into Wotton’s lifelong passion for capturing the often-overlooked architectural beauty of Whanganui.

The film’s centrepiece is the century-old brick Plunket building in Campbell St, built in 1915, which Wotton meticulously photographs, showcasing his preference for shooting buildings devoid of human presence to highlight their design and aesthetic lines.

The Seoul festival organisers, who saw the film when it screened at the Istanbul International Architecture and Urban Films Festival last year, contacted Double Farley earlier this year to ask if they could screen it.

“We’re thrilled to have been invited to screen the film at the festival, and especially excited that another huge international audience will get the pleasure of seeing Richard at work in Whanganui,” Double said.

Wotton, who served as the collections photographer at the Sarjeant Gallery for 31 years until his retirement in 2018, has dedicated more than 50 years to documenting Whanganui’s architectural heritage.

Director Kevin Double with Richard Wotton outside the historic brick Plunket building in Campbell St. Photo / NZME

Inspired by the works of American photographer Walker Evans, Wotton’s photographs emphasise the timeless appeal and intricate lines of older, less celebrated buildings, contrasting them with modern concrete and glass structures.

“I was inspired by [Frank] Denton, but it was Walker Evans’ work that made me want to be a photographer,” Wotton said.

“I like photographing buildings without any people around. I prefer to photograph people for portraits. Older buildings have lines that look good in photographs and were designed to be aesthetically pleasing.”

The film had two Whanganui screenings last year, thanks to the support of the Sarjeant Gallery. The film will screen in Seoul on September 6-8 and will then be available to a wider Korean audience via Naver TV, which has 42 million users, from September 8-15.