Flying a tattered flag for New Zealand film: Rudall Hayward’s 60-year career
Rediscovering Rudall Hayward
Join us for a fascinating talk by historian and author Annabel Cooper as she delves into the life and legacy of Rudall Hayward — a trailblazer of New Zealand filmmaking.
Although not widely known today, Rudall’s career spanned from the early 1900s to the 1970s. He made four feature-length films during New Zealand’s silent film era, later navigating the financial challenges of accessing new sound equipment to make documentaries, educational films, and two more feature films — Rewi’s Last Stand (1940) and the first New Zealand film to be shot in colour, To Love a Māori (1972).
Drawing on research for her biography of Rudall Hayward and his family, Annabel Cooper will explore his enduring contributions to cinema, his collaborative work with his wives Hilda and Ramai, and the cultural legacy he left behind.
About the speaker
Associate Professor Annabel Cooper taught at the University of Otago for 30 years, and published on a number of New Zealand topics including gender history and film. Her last book, Filming the Colonial Past: The New Zealand Wars on Screen, is the subject of an exhibition, He Riri Awatea: Filming the New Zealand Wars, curated with Ariana Tikao for the New Zealand Portrait Gallery and now showing at Canterbury Museum.
Can’t make it in person?
Can’t make it in person? This event will also be delivered using Zoom. You do not need to install the software to attend, you can opt to run Zoom from your browser.
Register if you’d like to join this talk and we’ll send you the link to use on the day.
Free. Koha from non-members appreciated.