Over the Sea and Near Away

Sponsored by the Crusader Shipping Company, this 1966 National Film Unit production joins one of the firm's ships as it transports New Zealand products from Auckland to Asia — home to “one quarter of the human race, 900 million customers”. As milk powder, wool, mutton, apples, cheese and deer antlers are delivered to ports in the Philippines, China, Japan, and Hong Kong, director Ron Bowie observes cultural difference and economic opportunity; and a “westernising” Orient is beautifully captured by Kell Fowler. The NFU crew were rare foreign observers in Chairman Mao’s China.  

The new architecture is vigorous, beautiful and perfectly suited to climate and city. An extraordinary city where recently two women were burned as witches and pirates boarded a ship in the harbour and made off with the cargo ...

– Narrator Peter Gwynne, on Manilla

Key Cast & Crew

Kell Fowler

Cinematographer

Ron Bowie

Director, Writer - Narration, Editor

Oxley Hughan

Producer

Geoffrey Scott

Executive Producer

Peter Gwynne

Narrator

Val Federoff

Sound