A Film Capturing New Zealand’s First Living Building 10 Jul 2015
Related articles
- NZ More Interested in All Whites than All Blacks Sport
- Australia Jumping on the Boy Bandwagon Living
- Waitakere Mayor championsing NZ film in China Living
- Wellington Band At Top British Film Awards Living
- Sludge Report #192: The Naked Budget Columns
- NZ home sales creep up in March, still subdued Property
- PM pays tribute to Raiha, Lady Mahuta News
- A smarter approach to housing News
- New Zealand Short Film Wins At Sundance Living
- Avatar delivers $307m to New Zealand economy News
A Film Capturing New Zealand’s First Living Building
July 2015 – Ngai Tuhoe’s Te Uru Taumatua whare is the Southern Hemisphere’s first living building constructed to meet the Living Building Challenge (LBC) criteria, which aims to build regenerative environmental design and buildings with a focus on site, water, energy, health, materials, equity and beauty.
The three year architectural undertaking by the late master of New Zealand architecture, Ivan Mercep of Jasmax, and construction company Arrow International to build sustainably with as little effect on the environment as possible, was captured on film for a feature observational documentary entitled Ever The Land, by Sarah Grohnert.
“The film narrative manages to pay homage to Ivan as well as tell the embedded story of a building built by Tuhoe,” says Sarah.
Ever The Land is filmmaker Sarah Grohnert’s first feature film. A project filmed almost exclusively by Sarah herself, the idea for the film initiated and overall production was in a close knit creative collaboration with producer Alexander Behse from Monsoon Pictures International.
The resulting film however was not Sarah’s original intention for her film.
“What started out as a documentary about architecture, quickly turned into an immersive experience of real life that is deeply human, spontaneous and involving. The intention with the film is to provide an open invitation to discover and rediscover our own sense of connection with ourselves, each other and the land that sustains us,” says Grohnert.
The title Ever The Land with logline A People A Place, Their Building is representative of Tuhoe’s relationship to the land.
“The building Te Uru Taumatua is the binding character in this observational documentary. I know audiences are used to having people as main characters yet in this film the building is something of a marriage of characters, it is a celebration of land and people. The fact that this building isn’t just a building but a Living Building, designed and constructed to the standards of the international Living Building Challenge, is that key to that relationship,” says Grohnert.
The film Ever The Land is ‘direct cinema’ – void of narration or interviews in favour of an immersive experience of real life that is deeply human, spontaneous and involving.
Grohnert explains “Ever The Land provides a unique and fascinating insight into the lives of Ngai Tuhoe communities, a culture of people closely entwined with the land. Tuhoe embody their land, and their land embodies them. The film takes a close look at this and explores how this relationship is manifested in their building.”
As an integral part of the Tuhoe community for three years, Grohnert captured intimate details including the historic moment when in 2014 Te Urewera, Tuhoe’s ancestral homelands were returned along with an official apology from the New Zealand Government.
“There’s no other way but saying what a fortunate alignment if was for the film that Tuhoe achieved their historic settlement with the Government over the same period that the building was being built. The legal return of Te Urewera to Tuhoe as well as the moving apology spoken by the Ministry of Treaty Negotiations in the film echoes through every room and fibre of that building. It is a building of new beginnings,” reflects Grohnert.
Mercep’s involvement as the lead architect is incredibly significant.
“I find it very humbling, and perhaps it is appropriate to consider the building as a kind of reconciliation of a complicated cultural conversation. Ivan had a huge part to play in that. He was known to be an exquisite listener, very sensitive to the needs of his clients and I think he knew how to embrace and honour the trust and faith that Tuhoe put in him,” says Grohnert.
Ever The Land will have its world premiere at the New Zealand International Film Festival in Auckland on Saturday 18 July 2015. Interest and demand for this film has exceeded all expectations, with the premiere screening selling out in a day.
Film Festival screenings
are:
Auckland
Sat 18 Jul
5:00 pm SKYCITY - SOLD OUT
Tue 21 Jul 3:45 pm SKYCITY
Wellington
Tue 28 Jul 6:15 pm TE
PAPA
Wed 29 Jul 11:30 am PARAMOUNT
Tickets are available through Ticketmaster http://www.ticketmaster.co.nz/NZ-International-Film-Festival-tickets/artist/1443921 or at the door.
To learn more, go to www.evertheland.com or http://www.nziff.co.nz/2015/wellington/ever-the-land and follow on Facebook and Twitter @EVERTHELAND
ENDS
News
Hilary Timmins' Award-Winning UK Documentary Series To Inspire NZ Students
29 Jun 2020 Education
Dream Catchers, produced and directed by Hilary Timmins, celebrates the success stories of more than thirty inspirational New... more
New Zealand reaffirms support for Flight MH17 judicial process
7 Mar 2020 News
Ahead of the start of the criminal trial in the Netherlands on 9 March, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has reaffirmed the need to... more
Business
NZ Government's Economic package to fight COVID-19
17 Mar 2020 Business News
The Coalition Government has launched the most significant peace-time economic plan in modern New Zealand history to cushion the... more
NZ Government announces aviation relief package
19 Mar 2020 Business News
Transport Minister Phil Twyford today outlined the first tranche of the $600 million aviation sector relief package announced earlier... more
Living
Diversity was Key at New Zealand Trade Tasting in London
6 Jun 2022 Food & Wine
New Zealand Winegrowers Annual Trade Tasting was recently held in London, on Wednesday 4 May, in Lindley Hall.
It was the first... more
Kiwi author stuns Behind the Butterfly Gate
12 Jan 2022 Arts
Hidden behind the Butterfly Gate is where the secret has been kept for 76 years...
New Zealand writer Merryn Corcoran’s... more
Property
Fairer rules for tenants and landlords
17 Nov 2019 Property
17 NOVEMBER 2019
The Government has delivered on its promise to the over one million New Zealanders who now rent to make it fairer... more
New Zealand Government will not implement a Capital Gains Tax
17 Apr 2019 Property
The Coalition Government will not proceed with the Tax Working Group’s recommendation for a capital gains tax, Jacinda Ardern... more
Migration
Boosting border security with electronic travel authority – now over 500,000 issued
19 Nov 2019 Migration
19 NOVEMBER 2019
We’ve improved border security with the NZeTA, New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority, which helps us to... more
Christchurch reinstated as refugee settlement location
18 Aug 2018 Migration
18 AUGUST 2018
HON IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY
The announcement that Christchurch can once again be a settlement location for refugees... more
Travel
Gallipoli Anzac Day services cancelled
19 Mar 2020 Travel & Tourism
The New Zealand and Australian Governments have announced this year’s joint Anzac Day services at Gallipoli will be cancelled... more
New Zealanders advised not to travel overseas
19 Mar 2020 Travel & Tourism
New Zealanders advised not to travel overseas
more
Sport
The Skipper's Diary: Sir Richard Hadlee honouring his father and NZ's Forty-Niners
27 Oct 2019 Cricket
NZNewsUK London Editor Charlotte Everett spoke to Sir Richard Hadlee about why he’s chosen to publish his father’s... more
PREVIEW: All Blacks v England semi-final
26 Oct 2019 Rugby
The two most convincing quarterfinals winners are set to square off in a semifinal showdown for the ages when the All Blacks meet old... more
Columns
Gordon Campbell on the Gareth Morgan crusade
11 Nov 2016 Opinion
Gordon Campbell on the Gareth Morgan crusade
First published on Werewolf
The ghastly likes of Marine Le Pen in France and Geert ... more
Gordon Campbell on the US election outcome
10 Nov 2016 Opinion
Column - Gordon Campbell
Gordon Campbell on the US election outcome
Well um.. on the bright side, there (probably)... more
Kiwi Success
Congratulations to Loder Cup winner
26 Sep 2018 People
25 SEPTEMBER 2018
The Loder Cup, one of New Zealand’s oldest conservation awards, has been awarded to Robert McGowan for 2018... more
Appointments to New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO
16 Aug 2018 Appointments
16 AUGUST 2018Appointments to New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO
HON JENNY SALESA
Associate Education Minister Jenny Salesa is... more
Recruitment
Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers
14 Aug 2018 Recruitment
14 AUGUST 2018Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers
RT HON JACINDA ARDERN
HON CHRIS HIPKINS
Prime Minister
The... more
Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers
22 Aug 2018 Recruitment
14 AUGUST 2018Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers
RT HON JACINDA ARDERN
HON CHRIS HIPKINS
Prime Minister
The... more