DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL

Auckland Sept 27 - Oct 10

Dunedin Oct 11 - 21

Christchurch Oct 25 - Nov 4

Wellington Nov 8 - 21

The popular annual Documentary Film Festival is about to get underway.

Visit the website http://www.docnz.org.nz/ for the exciting programme.

Opera buffs like me will be especially interested to see Wonders Are Many: the Making of Dr Atomic described in the Hollywood Reporter as:
“Tightly layered with uncanny insights and profound illuminations, "Wonders" is a masterful distillation of explosive elements: science, art, psychology and humanity.

Here is a review summary from the New York Times today:

The creation of atomic weapons by a team of scientists led by Robert Oppenheimer in 1945 had a powerful impact on nearly every aspect of American culture, so it's not surprising that composer John Adams and director Peter Sellars, two leading figures in contemporary opera, would collaborate on a piece about Oppenheimer and his notorious invention.

In 2005, Adams and Sellars teamed up to create Doctor Atomic, an opera that focuses on Oppenheimer during the forty-eight hours before the first test of the atomic bomb, and filmmaker Jon Else -- whose credits include The Day After Trinity, an award-winning documentary on Oppenheimer and the Manhattan Project -- chronicles the writing and staging of this performance piece in the film Wonders Are Many. Wonders Are Many intercuts footage about Oppenheimer's life and career with a detailed look at Adams and Sellars deep in the creative process as they rehearse their cast, work out their staging, struggle to complete last-minute changes in the music and libretto and attend to hundreds of other details as the date of the premiere performance draws near. Originally created for broadcast on public television, Wonders Are Many also was screened at a number of major film festivals, including the 2007 San Francisco International Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Pic of Peter Sellars from tigerbeat.com