The Hitch-Hiker

Television (Full Length) – 1996

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Behind the wheel of a car rigged with concealed cameras and microphones, Ginette McDonald embarks on a slow road trip from Auckland to Wellington, seeking out stories from the road. En route she picks up every hitchhiker she comes across, including two Japanese men on a working holiday, a couple living in a house truck, two lost little girls and their dog, Israeli soldiers on a gap year and a pair of backpackers on the brink of a breakup. With her disarming wit Ginette engages each in conversation, secretly recording their unfiltered confessions and perspectives on life (but getting permission afterwards, to put it on air). This two-part documentary screened on TV3’s Inside New Zealand slot.

I think unemployment is a fact of life, and the sooner that people realise that, and accept that some people aren't suited to working, and are never going to be able to work, then that'll be better.
– An unemployed house truck resident