Far North

In 2016 writer/director David White (This Town) read an article about New Zealand's biggest drug bust, and sensed a bigger story. White was intrigued by the involvement of two Northland locals. He travelled to the Far North and "just knocked on the door". White's six part TV series mixes drama and comedy, as a Northland couple (played by veterans Temuera Morrison and Robyn Malcolm) cross paths with a group of inept Tongan criminals and a ruthless Chinese drug ring. Far North won a clutch of 2024 NZ TV Award nominations, including White for Best Director. White also wrote a book of the same name about the "unbelievable" case.