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
  • The right and left of the image are battle scenes from the first two seasons of the series Stolen Lands. The gold text in the middle reads: "STOLEN LANDS."

    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.

  • Comedy14

    Docos and drama with a healthy dose of humour.

    The Bandits are seated in two rows. Above them is text reading: "THE SCHOOL REPEATERS."
    Jordan a.k.a. How to DAD looks quizzically into the camera. The orange text on the left reads: "OUT OF MY LEAGUE."
    Against a yellow-and-orange background, the cyan-coloured text reads: "the All Goods Race."

  • Te Ao Māori28

    Comedy, current affairs, and kōrero from tangata whenua.

    The host, Mihingarangi Forbes, smiling at the camera. Text reads, "Mata".
    Text reads, "Treaty Talks Aotearoa, Hosted by Kara Rickard". Surrounding the text is an image of a version of the Coat of Arms, the 'Crown' figure is holding a Māori flag.
    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."

  • Pan-Asia NZ18

    Stories and perspectives from Pan-Asian New Zealand.

    A yellow baroque style wallpaper. A white line drawing of a house is in the bottom right corner. White handwritten text reads, "Kāinga".
    Dark purple background with text, "Art Stories in Aotearoa".
    A sepia toned image of a family photograph depicting a woman holding the hands of two young children. The photo is deteriorating and the child on the left is almost obscured by the damage. The text reads, "Farewell Guangdong" there are also four Chinese characters, or 'Hanzi', above the text.

  • Rangatahi31

    Series made by young people, for young people.

    Piripi is wearing a shirt and a cap and looks into the camera smiling. He is leaning against the side of a vehicle. Text reads, "Oe, The Adventures of of Piripi Kaiwaru AKA Phillip! Narrated by his Mother" There is a small illustration of a truck under the text, as well as illustrations of deer horns and a kangaroo.
    Three figures from different original images have been edited so that they're all standing next to each other and are of varying sizes. All three people are in the midst of performing. The background in a flat bright red colour. Text in the style of graffiti reads, "The Collective". A spray painted illustration of a crown appears above the 'e' in 'Collective'.
    A hand with red-painted nails exits through a small, curtained hole in a red wall. The text reads: "DAY ONE SHORTS."

  • Tamariki6

    Series for children, featuring some very well-known New Zealanders.

    Michal Bush, in all pink, plays a guitar in her music room. The text above reads: "Music with Michal."
    A yellow graphic with two blue penguins dancing. Below them is the text: "Bigsies and Littles."
    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."
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'.
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 the middle of the image, the white text on blue reads: "RUAMATA IT'S MORE THAN HOCKEY 1 + 2" Above the text is an image of students from Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ruamata doing a haka. Below the text is an image of students from the school standing in a formation with their coach, looking directly ahead.
A man with their back towards the camera, they're looking on onto an ocean. The image is in grey scale. Text reads, "The Art of War".
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 portrait of a child looking into the camera. On their head is a collection of blue and green strips of ribbon that intertwine with their long braided hair. They are wearing a blue shirt, a jacket and a bow tie. Text reads, "Loading Docs". Beside the text is a simple graphic circle meant to look like a roll of film.
A sepia toned image of a family photograph depicting a woman holding the hands of two young children. The photo is deteriorating and the child on the left is almost obscured by the damage. The text reads, "Farewell Guangdong" there are also four Chinese characters, or 'Hanzi', above the text.
Illustration of two women looking defiantly at the viewer. The background is yellow with illustrated yellow simple flowers. The text reads, "Conversations with my Immigrant Parents".
One young woman sits on another who is in a wheelchair in a zany candid moment. Text reads "This is Wheel Life with Soph and Indy"
Photo of Anika Moa in black with hands on hips, looking straight ahead to camera, on a light grey background. The podcast title ‘It’s Personal with Anika Moa’ is written above her head.
A school of fish swim together in the ocean. The text reads "Turning the Tide"
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.
Dark purple background with text, "Art Stories in Aotearoa".
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 man wearing a kākahu (clothing garment) and holding a hīrau (waka paddle). Text reads, "Te Kawau ki Tai. The Story of a Waka".
Dark grey background with yellow text reading, "The Barber Shope". There is a illustration in the same yellow of a Māori design.
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."
Young man with soot on his face looking into the camera, in his left hand he's holding a Patu (weapon). Text reads, "NZ Wars: Stories of Tauranga Moana".
A person sitting on a stool, they're looking down. The image has been edited so that there's a strong orange toned light covering the image, obscuring the figures face. The text reads, "The Outliers".
People standing in a forest clearing, backlit by the sun. They are all wearing traditional Māori dress. Text reads, "NZ Wars: Stories of Tainui".
A person sitting on a hill looking out onto an inlet. The image is take from behind the person. Text reads, "Inside Outside". There is an overlay of a recording boarder along the perimeter of the image.
The back of a woman walking down a path, she's wearing white pants and a silver shiny top with silver tassels coming off the back and arms. Her arms are outstretched. Text reads, "Inside Splore".
A yellow graphic with two blue penguins dancing. Below them is the text: "Bigsies and Littles."
Two people holding microphones and singing into them, another person stands behind playing a keyboard piano. The scene is lit with a purple hued light. Text reads, "The Barber Shop Sessions".