New Zealand on Film
If you're a movie-goer, you've probably seen New Zealand on the big screen. Film-makers are catching on to New Zealand's charm!
The Lord of the Rings was filmed in New Zealand and directed by New Zealander Peter Jackson. Computers helped create some of the effects, but the scenery was all natural - see for yourself, a number of operators offer tours to sites featuring in the films. Elijah Wood, who played Frodo, says: "New Zealand is Middle-Earth. It has every geological formation and geographical landscape you can imagine - and some you couldn't." New Zealand scenery has doubled for other places including Himalaya for Vertical Limit and Japan for The Last Samurai. The next major international film shot here will be The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, directed by New Zealander Andrew Adamson.
New Zealanders are also good at telling their own stories on film. Whale Rider - a haunting tale based on a story by Witi Ihimaera - recently shot to international fame after showing at the Sundance and Toronto Film Festivals. The film's young star, Keisha Castle-Hughes, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress.
