ScreenTalk

Barry Barclay – Pacific Films and the early days

Posted by Screen Talker on 17 July 2009

The late Barry Barclay [Ngāti Apa] was one of New Zealand’s most respected filmmakers. He directed such landmark titles as Tangata Whenua, Ngati, and Feathers of Peace. Barclay was also a longtime campaigner for the right of indigenous people to tell their own stories, to their own people. Before his death in February 2008, Barclay was interviewed for ScreenTalk about his early days working as a cameraman and director with John O’Shea’s legendary production company Pacific Films.

Barclay begins the interview by talking about Pacific’s contribution to Māori filmmaking, in particular with the Tangata Whenua series.

He also talks about:

• Pacific’s creative and independent spirit and how inspiring it was to work with director Tony Williams
• Directing the Pacific Films production Ashes – which starred a young Sam Neill as a conflicted priest
• Working on his first feature film Ngati
• Working with Pacific Films boss John O’Shea, and how O’Shea “didn’t really see skin colour”
• And what it was like being “Māori with a camera” in the early days of the Māori cultural renaissance

Note: there are some defects in the footage that come from the original master.

This video is available on YouTube to embed via a Creative Commons Licence.

Graeme Tuckett’s documentary about Barry Barclay, The Camera on the Shore, premieres in July 2009 as part of the NZ International Film Festival.

Credits: Interview and Camera – Clare O’Leary and Monika Ahuriri. Editing – Alex Backhouse.

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