Ben and Olivia: The Search for Truth

In the early hours of 1 January 1998 Ben Smart and Olivia Hope, two young partygoers in the Marlborough Sounds, were in a water taxi looking for a place to crash. They vanished and were never seen again. The investigation transfixed the nation, and led to the conviction of Scott Watson for murder. Directed for TV3 by John Keir (Flight 901: The  Erebus Disaster), this 2002 documentary revisits the case from the perspective of two fathers — Gerald Hope and Chris Watson — and brings them together for the first time to talk about whether Scott Watson is guilty.

I think the reason both fathers agreed to take part is they both need to shake the tree and see what comes down, what's new that hasn't fallen before.

– Director John Keir in The NZ Herald, 7 May 2002

Key Cast & Crew

John Sumner

Narrator

Ken Sparks

Editor

John Keir

Director, Producer

Morgana O'Reilly

Actor

Toni Wililams

Production Manager

Tim Pattinson

Composer - Series Title Music