The Golden Hour

This documentary tells the story of New Zealand sport’s ‘golden hour’, when on 2 September 1960 in Rome, two Arthur Lydiard-coached runners won Olympic gold: 21-year-old Peter Snell in the 800 metres, then Murray Halberg in the 5000 metres. The underdog tale mixes archive footage with recreations and candid interviews (Halberg talks about his battle with disability and doubt). The NZ Herald's Russell Baillie praised the result as “riveting” and “our Chariots of Fire”. It screened on TV prior to the 2012 London Olympics and was nominated for an International Emmy Award in 2013. 

The teams that were expected to dominate were the two super powers: The Soviet Union and the United States. The New Zealanders were a complete afterthought.

– David Maraniss, author of book Rome 1960: The Olympics that Changed the World

Key Cast & Crew

DJ Stipsen

Cinematographer

Justin Pemberton

Director, Writer

Polly Fryer

Producer

Frank Brown

As: Bill Baillie

Aimee Gestro

As: Phyllis Halberg

Graham Smith

As: Harold Austad