Deep-dive documentaries

Films and mini-series that dive deep into our history, culture, and society.

Deep-dive documentaries series and films

A bagpipe band stand in a field ready to perform. The text reads: "12,000 Miles from NZ to the Green."

12,000 Miles

Follow the Kiwis taking on the world at the World Pipe Band Champs in Scotland.
3 episodes
36m
In India, a group of people walk down a path in front of a historic building. Above the building in orange reads: "1984"

1984

Survivors of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in India seek asylum in Aotearoa.
Film
1h 4m
A hillside is draped with a large Māori flag, on the ridge line stands a single figure and another Māori flag. Text in a painted font reads "Ake Ake Ake"

Ake Ake Ake

The story of the land occupation at Ihumātao in words of those that were there.
3 episodes
55m
Black and white photo of a portion of a team sports photo. Only two men visible with crossed arms. Text reads, "All Blacks at War".

All Blacks at War

Andrew Mehrtens MNZM shares the story of the 13 All Blacks killed in WWI.
Film
44m
A man sits silhouetted on some steps leading down to the water in a cave. He glances out over the incoming waves. Yellow text reads: "BEING Niuean. 50 YEARS OF PULE FAKAMOTU."

Being Niuean

Nominated
50 years of self-governance on the Rock.
Film
44m
A mixed crowd with people standing among police officers wearing helmets and masks. The image has a black background with the white title 'Boiling Point, March 2nd'.

Boiling Point

An account of the final day of one of Aotearoa’s most infamous protests.
Film
45m
A wide long beach withe dark grey sand and blue ocean. Text reads, "Chatham Islanders, Tchakat Tchatam Airani". There is an illustration of an indigenous Moriori tree carving in between the words "Chatham" and "Islanders".

Chatham Islanders

A documentary series about life on Aotearoa's remotest island.
7 episodes
26m
Framed by a purple fabric design is a plus-size model in a green dress. In front of her, in black-on-white text, reads: "CUTTING THE CURVE."

Cutting the Curve

Among diet drugs & shrinking ideals, curve & plus-size women fight to be seen.
6 episodes
10m
Black text on a beige background, text reads "Fight for the Wild". Behind the text are three illustrations, one is of New Zealand the other is a disembodied head of a Tūī and the third is a fantail.

Fight for the Wild

Documentary series exploring the notion of a Predator Free 2050 in Aotearoa.
4 episodes
45m
Host Guyon Espiner looking directly into the camera, with a bar illuminated by blue light in the background. On the right side from the man the title reads 'Proof'.

Guyon Espiner: Proof

Guyon Espiner's documentary about NZ's drinking culture & the alcohol industry.
Film
44m
In a black-and-white photograph, a Māori woman speaks into a microphone in front of a crowd. Her fist is raised defiantly in the air. below the woman, at the bottom of the image, the text reads in yellow lettering: "THE HAKA PARTY INCIDENT."

The Haka Party Incident

Award-winning
The last New Zealand war took place in 1979. It lasted three minutes.
Film
1h 28m
Bob Lowry, wearing an eyepatch, crown, and shirt with the words "In the country of the blind, the man" before it's cut off, holds a finger in the air. The graphic is white and teal with a title to the left of him which reads: "I Am a Dark River"

I Am a Dark River

NZ printer & publisher Bob Lowry, through the eyes of his granddaughter Tess.
Film
1h 10m
A black-and-white image of a smiling Joy Cowley sitting on a swing. Large text in the background of the image reads: "Joy Full & Fearless."

Joy, Full & Fearless

The trauma & triumph of celebrated author Joy Cowley's astonishing life.
Film
56m
The side profile of a man holding a guitar with a microphone on a stand in front of him. Text reads, "Legacy: Katchafire" and has a boarder around the perimeter of the frame.

Katchafire: Legacy

Katchafire's journey through creative differences & a changing music landscape.
Film
53m
Six seperate images arranged in two rows of three, content of the photos include, a man playing a trumpet, graffiti, a group shot of four men. Text across the middle reads, "Marauders".

MARAUDERS

Glorious handycam footage from the Fat Freddy's Drop 2003 debut European tour.
4 seasons/28 episodes
9m
The silhouette of a man against a sun either rising or setting, the sky is mostly green with a thin bank of orange light along the horizon. Text reads, "Meng".

Meng

A year in the life of Race Relations Commissioner Meng Foon.
Film
52m
A group of Pasifika women pose for a picture. Below them the text reads: "Myths & Maidens."

Myths & Maidens

Some of the trauma, challenges, & inequities of fafine Moana across Pasifika.
Film
56m
We see a coastline of New Zealand. On the right is the land; on the left is the ocean; above are clouds. Golden text in the middle reads: "STOLEN LANDS A HIGHLANDER'S QUEST."

Stolen Lands

A Highlander’s journey to Aotearoa meets a legacy of land & loss.
2 seasons/10 episodes
29m
An archival picture of a group of Pacific Islanders posing for a group picture. The text reads "Untold Pacific History"

Untold Pacific History

A dynamic and often provocative account of NZ's relationship with the Pacific.
2 seasons/8 episodes
14m
A sand dune with the ocean behind it in a cove, everything shadowy and violet in the twilight. The text reads "Whitiki! Whītī! Whītī! E!"'

Whitiki

The stories of three WWI Māori Pioneers, through the eyes of their descendants.
Film
52m

More to watch

If you are interested in Deep-dive documentaries you might also want to check out some of our other series and films.

  • New in 202531

    New series and films as well as the latest from our ongoing shows.

    A group of penguins walk in a line along the Antarctic ice. At the top of the image, the text reads: "ANTARCTICA IN A WARMING WORLD."
    A blue graphic with a collection of drawings of items including a flag, a guitar, a dog, and skiis. The yellow text reads: "SIGHT UNSEEN."
    An image of some green New Zealand landscape covered with a bit of fog. The text reads: "MATA Reports Lost Property."

  • Comedy12

    Docos and drama with a healthy dose of humour.

    Against a yellow-and-orange background, the cyan-coloured text reads: "the All Goods Race."
    A hand with red-painted nails exits through a small, curtained hole in a red wall. The text reads: "DAY ONE SHORTS."
    A man looking into the camera with his mouth slightly open. His left eye is bugged out in a comically over the top way. Text reads, "A Place Called Te Awamutu".

  • Music15

    Performances, interviews, and docos across Aotearoa's rich musical landscape.

    A vertical poster showing three young men sitting in front of a dark wall, with the title 'Rū ANA TE WHENUA: Alien Weaponry Shake Europe' displayed.
    Against a black background, a group of opera singers sing. The green text reads: "Toiere."
    Eight seperate images edited into two rows of four, each showing different images of people and art. Text reads, "Marauders".

  • Rangatahi30

    Series made by young people, for young people.

    Against a yellow-and-orange background, the cyan-coloured text reads: "the All Goods Race."
    A vertical poster showing three young men sitting in front of a dark wall, with the title 'Rū ANA TE WHENUA: Alien Weaponry Shake Europe' displayed.
    A hand with red-painted nails exits through a small, curtained hole in a red wall. The text reads: "DAY ONE SHORTS."
The silhouette of a man against a sun either rising or setting, the sky is mostly green with a thin bank of orange light along the horizon. Text reads, "Meng".
An image of some green New Zealand landscape covered with a bit of fog. The text reads: "MATA Reports Lost Property."
On the left side of the graphic is the back of a yellow-on-black female athlete as she walks away. On the right side is a block of yellow. In the middle, written from top to bottom, is the text "OUTSIDE" in black and "THE LINES" in yellow.
In an animated graphic, the top of a man's face is seen in front of fence, above which are a collection of native New Zealand birds. In the middle of the image, in the middle of the birds, is the text: "BIRD'S EYE VIEW 2."
An animated graphic of green trees and leaves in a forest, along with a red flower. The text in front reads "What Will I Be Today?"
A large group of people protesting, they're all holding signs. Text reads, "Hīkoi, Speaking Our Truth".
A Little Blue Penguin sits in a rocky landscape. Text reads "Kororā, little blue penguin".
A man looking into the camera with his mouth slightly open. His left eye is bugged out in a comically over the top way. Text reads, "A Place Called Te Awamutu".
Bob Lowry, wearing an eyepatch, crown, and shirt with the words "In the country of the blind, the one-eyed man is King," holds a finger in the air. The graphic is white and teal with a title to the left of him and curving below which reads: "I Am a Dark River"
Charlotte Cook leaning on a bench and smiling. Beside her is a stack of cookbooks and a bowl of tomatoes. Text reads, "Grilled, with Charlotte Cook".
A half light purple and half yellow background with host, Josh Thomson, in the centre. Behind him are black and white images of six historical figures from various time periods. They have been superimposed so that they appear in a staggered star burst sort of pattern. Yellow text reads, "My Favourite Dead Person".
An adult person is holding a young child in their arms and hugging them. Text reads, "Blind Bitter Happiness".
Black and white image of a portion of an All Blacks rugby team photo. Men standing with arms folded looking at the camera wearing sports uniforms. Text reads, "All Blacks at War".
A group of penguins walk in a line along the Antarctic ice. At the top of the image, the text reads: "ANTARCTICA IN A WARMING WORLD."
The back of someone looking up at a big red firework exploding in the night sky. Text reads, "Giants Giants Giants". The last "Giants" fades into the background.
A transparent figure of the back of a man, overlayed with another transparent image of the same figure but just his shoulders and back of his head. Text reads, "Duality". it's written in transparent white block letters and yellow cursive overlapped.
In a black-and-white photograph, a Māori woman speaks into a microphone in front of a crowd. Her fist is raised defiantly in the air. At the top of the image, in small yellow lettering, reads: "THE LAST NEW ZEALAND WAR HAPPENED IN 1979. IT LASTED THREE MINUTES." Below the woman, at the bottom of the image, the text reads in yellow lettering: "THE HAKA PARTY INCIDENT." Below that text is smaller, white text that reads: "A FILM BY KATIE WOLFE."
A group of people performing a haka outside amongst the trees. The person at the front is in focus and doing a pukana. Text reads, "NZ Wars: The Stories of Ruapekapeka".
Woman looking into the camera, standing side on. She has a staunch expression and Is wearing a bright pink blouse. Text reads, "Breaking Silence". Text and woman stand against a dark, almost black background.
Side profile of a persons face, silhouetted against a setting sun out of frame. Text reads, "Imposter".
Alice Snedden looking into the camera and holding a megaphone up to her mouth in her left hand. In her right hand she holds up a stack of paper, on the first page is a simple drawing of the beehive with a text bubble that says, "No voting for you!!!". Text reads, "Alice Snedden's Bad News". Both the text and Alice Snedden are on a bright blue background.
A white pick-up truck drives up a winding country road, surrounded by dry New Zealand farmland. The text reads "The Turning Point"
6 people are seated around a long table, four of them are wearing hi-vis tops. On the table there are little traffic cones and signs. There are two flags hanging on the wall behind them, the flag of the United Tribes of New Zealand and the Maori flag. Orange text reads, "Hi-Vis".
A man is wearing a suit and tie and smiling at the camera with his head slightly tilted to the left. He has a thick moustache, behind him the room is dark but seems to be an office. Text reads, "The Citizen's Handbook" in light pink.