Power from the River

This NFU documentary showcases the hydroelectric power-generating might of the Waikato River. The ‘man harnesses nature’ narrative — shown via concrete, steel and earthmoving for dam building — highlights the path of the power: to drive farms, factories and Wellington’s electric trains. Director Cecil Holmes later wrote that post-war NZ was "a desperately poor country"; the film aimed to highlight Government efforts to overcome power shortages. After the 'satchel snatch' smear campaign of 1948, Holmes left for a highly regarded screen career in Australia. 

This then is the story that lies behind all the things you use around your home everyday: the light you turn off, the radio you switch on, the hot water you wash the dishes in, the iron you press the clothes with. A story that goes back with the wires coming into your home, going back with the pylons across the land to the sources of power, to the men who work, the materials they use, and the river they harness.

– From the narration

Key Cast & Crew

Cecil Holmes

Director, Editor, Commentary Writer

Doug Edwards

Narrator

Rex Walden

Narrator

Stan Wemyss

Camera