Getting to Our Place - Te Papa behind Closed Doors

Raewyn Smith-Kapa will present Getting to Our Place - Te Papa behind Closed Doors. Documentary about the opening of Te Papa on the waterfront in Wellington followed by Q&Q with Raewyn.

The 72-minute fly-on-the-wall film was directed by renowned New Zealand filmmaker Dame Gaylene Preston and co-directed by Anna Cottrell.

Getting to Our Place chronicles the turbulent, behind-the-scenes journey to conceive and construct the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.

Over nearly three years (1996 to 1998), the filmmakers captured 600 hours of footage, mostly focusing on the intense meetings where committee members, creative minds, and politicians hammered out the concepts for the exhibits.

• Reviewers noted that the clash of political, creative, ideological, and monetary interests gave the documentary "many of the hallmarks of a thriller"

Raewyn was part of it all! After screening the documentary she will open the floor for questions. Jo Doherty was there at the time, part of a new cohort of staff to get the Museum ready for re-opening and Az James (workshop E), was also part of the project team.

Raewyn is a member of our Exhibition Project Steering Group providing expert advice from a Museum/exhibition perspective.

Please note: This talk is in the new conference room in Rotorua Museum

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