23 August 2019 - 0 Comments

Fools & Dreamers: Regenerating a Native Forest is a 30-minute documentary about Hinewai Nature Reserve, on New Zealand’s Banks Peninsula, its kaitiaki/manager of 30 years, botanist Hugh Wilson, and how degraded gorse-infested farmland has been regenerated back into beautiful native forest.
 
When, in 1987, Hugh let the local community know of his plans to allow the introduced ‘weed’ gorse to grow as a nurse canopy to regenerate farmland into native forest, people were skeptical and even outraged. Now considered a hero locally and across the country, Hugh oversees 1500 hectares resplendent in native forest, where wildlife is abundant and 47 known waterfalls are in permanent flow.
 
This important film, produced by environmentally conscious documentary makers Happen Films, had its world premiere in June and is currently screening across the country.
 
The corresponding soundtrack was created by award-winning composers Ariana Tikao and Karl Steven, incorporating electronic soundscapes with Taonga Puoro to create a spacious, contemplative and transcendent musical rendering.

"It's a very special story to be involved with telling, and one which really came to life musically when Ariana came on board with her musical perspective and skill," explains Karl.  "I feel like we've done our best to give a musical voice to the Hinewai place/project, and I'm really happy with the results.  When I spend twenty minutes listening to these pieces for me it's like stepping into that landscape, but without the plane/ferry trip!"

“I love Hinewai!" says Ariana. "I’m in awe of the work that Hugh and the volunteers have done over the last 30 years to reclothe this part of Papatūānuku. My whānau are from the Akaroa area so it felt like a real privilege to work on the soundtrack for this film”.

 The soundtrack is released through the Songbroker label and is now available from Spotify, Bandcamp, and all good digital platforms under the title Hinewai.
 
The work at Hinewai Reserve is made possible in part due to generous donations from people all over the world. If you’d like to make a contribution, big or small, you can do so by bank transfer/cheque using the details below.
 
Direct credit
Maurice White Native Forest Trust
BNZ Akaroa
02 0832 0044225 00
 
Cheque
Maurice White Native Forest Trust
Hinewai Reserve
632 Long Bay Road
R.D.3 Akaroa 7583
New Zealand

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