Gisborne Strikes Back

Television (Full Length) – 1992

In the late 1980s Cyclone Bola ravaged Tairāwhiti, unemployment was high and Ruatoria suffered a string of arsons. In 1991 local poet and presenter Gary McCormick and director Bruce Morrison joined forces to document Gisborne artists travelling to Auckland to showcase East Coast artistic talent. Māori and Pākehā locals including carver Greg Whakataka Brightwell, publican Peter Gardner and musician Nigel Pullyn discuss Gisborne's special bicultural spirit. The documentary ends with the celebratory concert at the Gluepot. The project inspired another collaboration: longrunning series Heartland.

We may not have croissant shops that are open on Sundays, but we know how to have fun. The streets of Gisborne are alive with the sound of music everywhere you go.
– MC Gary McCormick warms up the crowd at the Gluepot, late in this documentary