New Zealand - Home of Middle Earth - Part 1

The Return of the King(en)

Two Hobbits struggle to destroy the Ring in Mount Doom while their friends desperately fight evil Lord Sauron's forces in a final battle.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring(en)

Young hobbit Frodo Baggins, after inheriting a mysterious ring from his uncle Bilbo, must leave his home in order to keep it from falling into the hands of its evil creator. Along the way, a fellowship is formed to protect the ringbearer and make sure that the ring arrives at its final destination: Mt. Doom, the only place where it can be destroyed.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers(en)

Frodo Baggins and the other members of the Fellowship continue on their sacred quest to destroy the One Ring--but on separate paths. Their destinies lie at two towers--Orthanc Tower in Isengard, where the corrupt wizard Saruman awaits, and Sauron's fortress at Barad-dur, deep within the dark lands of Mordor. Frodo and Sam are trekking to Mordor to destroy the One Ring of Power while Gimli, Legolas and Aragorn search for the orc-captured Merry and Pippin. All along, nefarious wizard Saruman awaits the Fellowship members at the Orthanc Tower in Isengard.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King(en)

As armies mass for a final battle that will decide the fate of the world--and powerful, ancient forces of Light and Dark compete to determine the outcome--one member of the Fellowship of the Ring is revealed as the noble heir to the throne of the Kings of Men. Yet, the sole hope for triumph over evil lies with a brave hobbit, Frodo, who, accompanied by his loyal friend Sam and the hideous, wretched Gollum, ventures deep into the very dark heart of Mordor on his seemingly impossible quest to destroy the Ring of Power.​

The Lord of the Rings(en)

The Fellowship of the Ring embark on a journey to destroy the One Ring and end Sauron's reign over Middle-earth.

A Seat at the Table(en)

France makes the most desired, revered and expensive wines in the world. They’ve had centuries to hone their craft. If you make fine wine, France is the benchmark. Or are they? One country famous for punching above its weight is taking on the aristocracy. This is a story featuring the World's most renowned winemakers, critics, writers and fine wine merchants. Travelling from the Old World to the New World we explore the history, culture and tension in the changing world of fine wine, answering that one question - has New Zealand earned a seat at the table?

Perfect Creature(en)

The vampire myth is given a stylish 1960s treatment, where a human cop partners with a vampire cop to stop a vamp bent on creating a war between the two "separate but equal" races.

Under the Mountain(en)

Teenage twins battle dark forces hidden beneath Auckland's volcanoes.

Spontaneous Combustion: Songs for Barry Brickell(en)

Spontaneous Combustion embraces the holistic vision of one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most provocative artists and thinkers: the unity of the natural environment and the human imagination, the energy, rhythm and textures of the physical world expressed in clay, words, and music. The film celebrates the legacy of Barry Brickell (1935-2016) and the realisation of his extraordinary dream, Driving Creek Railway: a productive pottery with numerous kilns, a bush railway, a native bird and bush sanctuary and a lively creative hub drawing artists from around the globe.

Quest for the Ring(en)

A Passage to Middle-Earth: Making of 'Lord of the Rings'(en)

The making of Peter Jackson's adaptation of Tolkien's classic work.

The Making of The Fellowship of the Ring(en)

A behind-the-scenes documentary on the making of "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring." Created by filmmaker Costa Botes (personally selected by Peter Jackson), this documentary uses raw footage to reveal the inside story on how the greatest adventure film franchise was born.

Mururoa 1973(en)

In 1973 Alister Barry joined the crew of a protest boat (The Fri) to Mururoa Atoll, where the French Government were testing nuclear weapons. Barry records the assembly of the crew, the long journey from Northland, and their reception in the test zone; when The Fri was boarded and impounded by French military he had to hide his camera in a barrel of oranges.

Aeon(en)

Dealing heavily with perceptions of time, Aeon documents the urban cityscape as Wellington transforms through a zen-influenced eternal cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth within a 24-hour period.

The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey(en)

Cumberland, 1348. The plague is spreading in medieval England. The remote village of little Griffin is also threatened. But the 9-year-old boy has a recurring dream that holds the key to a tiny hope of survival: a lake with a coffin floating on it. A white church with an iron cross. A falling glove. A falling silhouette. A torch tumble through a dark shaft into infinity. With his brother he recognizes in it a prophecy to escape the Black Death. So they embark with a few men on a journey to a distant cathedral, where they want to set up an iron cross as an offering to God. Her path leads them through a deep and dark mine shaft into an unknown land and completely outlandish time - into the present-day New Zealand of the 1980s.

The Hunt for Gollum(en)

The Hunt For Gollum is a prequel to The Lord of the Rings made by British director Chris Bouchard. The film was faithfully based on appendices written by J.R.R. Tolkien as a serious homage to the material.

Māori(en)

This 1981 NFU film is a tour of the contemporary world of Aotearoa’s tangata whenua. It won headlines over claims that its portrayal of Māori had been sanitised for overseas viewers. Debate and a recut ensued. Writer Witi Ihimaera felt that mentions of contentious issues (Bastion Point, the land march) in his original script were ignored or elided in the final film, and withdrew from the project. He later told journalists that the controversy showed that educated members of minority groups were no longer prepared to let the majority interpret the minority view.

Brick by Brick: Inside LEGO(en)

Travel to Lego's Denmark headquarters to learn about the toy manufacturer's history and production, as well as the CEO who helped revive the brand.

Frontier Woman(en)

Tennessee, 1838. Polly Crockett, the daughter of the legendary hero Davy Crockett of Alamo, and makes a living from hunting in the forests. These forests are still inhabited by the Indians. Most of them live in peace but some of them are negatively affected by white traders. One day Polly, who is accompanied by her faithful Indian friend Neshoba, goes to the town to sell her hides. Polly meets Catawampus Jones. Jones and his father fought in the Alamo too. Indians influenced by Prewitt, an employee of a hide company, and Redbud, are killing settlers and burning down their homes. Polly's house is destroyed too and her maid Birdie, Neshoba's mother, is killed.

Le goûter champêtre(fr)

A group of young women and children enjoy a rowdy picnic in the countryside.

The Age of Curious(en)

Three teens face their inner wildness on a dreamlike journey when they decide to peek under the hair of God.

Operation Delilah(es)

A couple try to help the residents of a small Caribbean island overthrow a dictator.

Emilie Richards - Entscheidung des Herzens(de)

Battle of Rogue River(en)

In 1850 Oregon is trying to gain statehood, but a truce is needed with the Indians before it can be accomplished. A new Army commander, Major Archer, is dispatched to bring order and peace to the territory.

Sweet Tooth(sv)

At the verge between childhood and adolescence, a group of girls hang out at the playground. They smoke, coordinate TikTok dances, and share a pack of red pills. With great authenticity and skillfully captured group dynamics, the film depicts the beginning of a new phase in fourteen-year-old Wilma's life.

La Feliz: Continuities of Violence(es)

An essay on parastatal violence that establishes links and points of contact between two little-known moments in Argentine history: the action of the CNU (Concentración Nacional Universitaria) in the seventies and the actions of neo-fascist groups in the present.

Die Toten Hosen: Noches Como Estas - Live in Buenos Aires(de)

A New Way of Traveling(en)

Steampunk fantasia of interplanetary travel and submarine life.

Kungfu Master(en)

The film features Kung Fu Panda and Chinese martial arts folk hero Wong Fei Hung. In the film, the panda is assigned by the Buddha to protect an ancient treasure that could give the bearer the power to conquer the world.

Yeguas y cotorras(es)

Delfina decides to spend with her two best friends, in her family’s manor house, her last day before getting married. In a sometimes violent, sensual or caring atmosphere, they share their doubts, their memories, their secrets, but also their bitterness. This intriguing title (literally Mares and Parrots) hides a subtle social unease within the young Buenos Aires bourgeoisie.

Pärnography(et)

This inventive documentary about famed Estonian animator Priit Parn is an involving look at his socialist, absurd, sometimes grotesque art in the eyes of Parn himself, his colleagues, and his fans and suggests that Estonia owes its independence to its animation rather than to material revolt and revolutionary singing

Like All the Others(sq)

Vullnet, raised in an orphanage, has finished the military service and must solve some problems in his life.

Usu(ko)

While preparing to shut down the photo studio business that he has been running, a man hears that someone named Chulsu has died.