By Celsias
Posted on July 21, 2012. Listed in:
Song of the Kauri, a documentary to premiere at the 2012 New Zealand International Film Festival, presents a new vision for the future of New Zealand’s kauri forests.
The story unfolds through the labours of renowned Northland Luthier Laurie Williams who works with kaitiaki Karamea Davis and specialist forester Steve Lane to select and fell a tree to provide the raw material for his instruments – guitars, violins and ukuleles from kauri.
The film then discusses the possibilities of resurrecting mighty kauri forests as it investigates the economics and science of such a vision with experts including kaitiaki Karamea Davis, author Keith Stewart, investor George Kerr, Scion Research kauri specialist Greg Steward and forestry professor Euan Mason.
The film marks the directing debut of Mathurin Molgat, a former World Cup skier who has worked in film production (on both sides of the camera) since 1983.
When Karamea Davis said “I want my trees to sing” he was referring to his philosophy that a Laurie Williams instrument made of kauri could travel the world as an ambassador for New Zealands' forests and could carry a strong environmental message. Kauri could become New Zealands' currency in the new world of green economics. “I knew then that I had to make this film” says director, Mathurin Molgat.
Delving deep into the past as it looks towards the future, the documentary covers
many perspectives and features cameos by globally recognised musicians including guitarists Jackson Browne, Nigel Gavin, Michael Chapdelaine and Tiki Taane and violinist Miranda Adams.
“As I followed the story of kauri it became clear that there are untapped global markets for kauri and that native forestry should be and could be tree husbandry – for every one we cut down, we plant two,” says Molgat. “I learned that plantation kauri is most certainly possible and that under plantation conditions, kauri is not at all slow growing. We could literally grow ourselves an immensely valuable and unique currency and we owe it to ourselves and the kauri to explore the possibility.”
Economist and columnist David Grimmond supports the movie’s limited-harvest message.
“What interested me were the economic and environmental messages underpinning the film,” he said. “It’s clear a regulatory system that permits the limited harvest of a valued species can be an effective environmental protection tool. Absolute protection of a threatened species such as kauri can have undesirable consequences including removing legitimate economic incentives to expand the habitat.”
Song of the Kauri opens as part of the film festival with its world premiere in Auckland on July 28. It will travel with the festival throughout New Zealand screening in many centres.
