Popular documentaries

A collection of the most essential RNZ Documentaries.

Popular documentaries series and films

  • 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
  • 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
  • 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.

    Farewell Guangdong

    An intergenerational celebration of women from our Chinese NZ community.
    7 episodes
    22m
  • 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
  • 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 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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 man wearing sunglasses and a tartan hat is looking out to the left. Text reads, "Our Other Islands".

    Our Other Islands

    Troy Kingi embarks on a journey to explore the "other" islands of Aotearoa.
    6 episodes
    26m
  • A birds'-eye view of some military items sitting scattered on a desk, including a map, a hat, playing cards, some photographs, and a couple of coins. The text in the middle reads "Back to Timor."

    Back to Timor

    Kiwi military vets return to East Timor 25 years after serving as peacekeepers.
    Film
    43m

More to watch

If you are interested in Popular 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 group of Pasifika women pose for a picture. Below them the text reads: "Myths & Maidens."
A large group of smiling young performers in traditional Polynesian attire pose together outdoors. They wear orange and yellow garments, necklaces made of white spikes, and have black markings on their faces. Above them, on a yellow banner, bold black text reads “SEVEN WEEKS,” with the subtitle “JOURNEY TO POLYFEST” in italics.
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."
Against a yellow-and-orange background, the cyan-coloured text reads: "the All Goods Race."
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."
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"
A Little Blue Penguin sits in a rocky landscape. Text reads "Kororā, little blue penguin".
A Muslim man in a blue shirt stands in a mosque. The text reads "This Is Us"
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".
A hand with red-painted nails exits through a small, curtained hole in a red wall. The text reads: "DAY ONE SHORTS."
People standing in a forest clearing, backlit by the sun. They are all wearing traditional Māori dress. Text reads, "NZ Wars: Stories of Tainui".
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"
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 close up of a video game controller, the lighting makes it look slightly pink and blue. Text reads, "Game Change".
Jordan a.k.a. How to DAD looks quizzically into the camera. The orange text on the left reads: "OUT OF MY LEAGUE."
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".
A green graphic with text reading "Five Nights at Everybody Eats" in the center, a small graphic of stacked yellow plates in the bottom right, and text reading "Making a difference one plate at a time" beneath it.
Michal Bush, in all pink, plays a guitar in her music room. The text above reads: "Music with Michal."
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".
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.
A woman sitting on a chair next to a desk and coffee table. She's smiling at the camera. Text reads, "Aotearoa's Most Bizarre Conspiracies".
In a graphic made up of differently coloured brown tiles, the two main hosts of Whakamāori season three pose. Behind them is text reading: "WHAKAMĀORI."
Dark purple background with text, "Art Stories in Aotearoa".