Private Project

Set In Stone

REPAIRING HISTORY
RESTORING MEMORIES
RETURNING A HERO HOME

In a small town twelve thousand miles away from the battlefields of Europe stands a monument dedicated to all Māori who fought for King and Country during World War One.

Constructed in 1925, it was built so generations to come would remember the supreme sacrifices made by Māori soldiers.

Over time, the stone and the memories carved into it slowly crumble. Storms and earthquakes accelerate this erosion. The loss of generations and dispersal of whānau exacerbates it.

Stopping the erosion, conserving the stones and rebuilding the monument will take a specialist team over a year and cost more than half a million dollars. Restoring memories, reconnecting whānau, and ultimately welcoming a World War One hero back home will take the love of a whole community.

Set in Stone is told from the heart by people whose passion and skill unite them. Māori and Pākehā, German and English all contribute to this fascinating and moving story. Filmed with aroha in the gardens of Pākaitore, Whanganui, it’s a story about a New Zealand community doing what they do best – caring for those who lived and those still living.

A film by Kevin Double (“For Children”, “Project Born behind-the-scenes”).

  • Kevin Double
    Director
    For Children (director), Show Your Hand : Behind-the-scenes of Project Born (camera, editor)
  • Melita Farley
    Producer
    For Children (producer), Show Your Hand : Behind-the-scenes of Project Born (Executive Producer)
  • Pākaitore Historic Reserve Board
    Associate producers
  • Rosemary Tennant
    Associate producers
  • Kevin Double
    Cinematographer & editor
    For Children (director), Show Your Hand : Behind-the-scenes of Project Born (camera, editor)
  • Jay Rerekura
    Narrator
  • Jay Rerekura
    Iwi Liaison
  • Pākaitore Historic Reserve Board
    Iwi Liaison
  • John McAllister
    Composer
  • Sonny Barlow
    Additional camera
  • Koen Dewitte
    Belgian unit
  • Sudhir Prabakar
    2d layer compositor
  • Karen Craig
    Production assistant
  • Fleur Wickes
    Unit publicist
  • Detlef Klein
    Supplied material
  • Aaron Te Rangiao
    Supplied material
  • Goldfield Stone
    Supplied material
  • Virginia Hina
    Supplied material
  • Rowley Habib
    Supplied material
  • Janet Grubner
    Supplied material
  • Digitalnz.orb.nz
    Archive material
  • Auckland War Memorial Museum
    Archive material
  • Auckland libraries heritage images collection
    Archive material
  • Oldphotos.com
    Archive material
  • Pond5.com Public Domain
    Archive material
  • Radio New Zealand
    Archive material
  • Alexander Turnbull Library
    Archive material
  • National Library New Zealand
    Archive material
  • Papers Past
    Archive material
  • Masterton Spydus
    Archive material
  • Archives Central
    Archive material
  • Whanganui Regional Museum
    Archive material
  • Wikipedia
    Archive material
  • Wikicommons media
    Archive material
  • 'Herewini Whakarua Personnel Records', Archives NZ
    Historical references
  • 'Māori Units of the NZEF', nzhistory.govt.nz
    Historical references
  • 'Home Little Māori Home', 2003, Rikihana Carkeek
    Historical references
  • 'Te Hokowhitu a tu', 1995, Christopher Pugsley
    Historical references
  • Fleur
    Historical references
  • 'The Māoris in the Great War', 1995, James Cowan
    Historical references
  • 'The Sorrow & the Pride', 1990, C Maclean & J Phillips
    Historical references
  • Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Cameras
    Filmed using
  • Panasonic Lenses
    Filmed using
  • Rangi Wills
    Featuring
  • Detlef Klein
    Featuring
  • Mark Whyte
    Featuring
  • Rosemary Tennant
    Featuring
  • Virginia Hina
    Featuring
  • Robin Ayers
    Featuring
  • Marco Buerger
    Featuring
  • Aaron Te Rangiao
    Featuring
  • Sonny Barlow
    Featuring
  • Greg Donson
    Featuring
  • John Maihi
    Featuring
  • Raewyne Johnson
    Featuring
  • Bill Milbank
    Featuring
  • Janet Grubner
    Featuring
  • Mary Wakefield
    Featuring
  • Ned Tapa
    Featuring
  • New Zealand Lottery Grants Board
    Restoration Project Funding
  • Pākaitore Historic Reserve Board
    Restoration Project Funding
  • Steven Crundwell
    Restoration Project Structural Engineers
  • Tony Moran
    Restoration Project Structural Engineers
  • Jim Moore
    Restoration Project Structural Engineers
  • Opus International Consultants Ltd
    Restoration Project Consultants
  • Goldfield Stone Ltd
    Restoration Project Consultants
  • Manawatu Museum Services Ltd
    Restoration Project Consultants
  • Whanganui District Council
    Film & Project Acknowledgements
  • Emmets Civil Construction Ltd
    Film & Project Acknowledgements
  • Sarjeant Gallery Te Whare o Rehua Whanganui
    Film & Project Acknowledgements
  • Whanganui Davis Central City Library
    Film & Project Acknowledgements
  • Alexander Heritage & Research Library
    Film & Project Acknowledgements
  • People of Whanganui
    Film & Project Acknowledgements
  • Whānau of all the soldiers featured
    Film & Project Acknowledgements
  • Radio New Zealand
    Film & Project Acknowledgements
  • Dan Shanan at DocEdge
    Film & Project Acknowledgements
  • Rangi Wills
    In memory of
  • Rowley Habib (Rore Hapipi)
    In memory of
  • All those who served in World War One and the whānau
    Dedicated to
  • Kevin Double
    Writer
  • Melita Farley
    Writer
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Feature
  • Genres:
    Documentary, Historical, World War One, Māori
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 29 minutes 1 second
  • Completion Date:
    December 20, 2016
  • Production Budget:
    40,000 NZD
  • Country of Origin:
    New Zealand
  • Country of Filming:
    Belgium, New Zealand
  • Language:
    English, Maori
  • Shooting Format:
    HD / BMPCC ProRes422HQ
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • DocEdge 2017
    Wellington & Auckland
    New Zealand
    May 16, 2017
    World Premiere
    Best New Zealand Emerging Filmmaker & Special Mention in the New Zealand Competition: Feature Documentary Best New Zealand Feature Documentary
  • Docs For Schools 2017
    Wellington
    New Zealand
    May 16, 2017
  • Whanganui Premiere
    Whanganui
    New Zealand
    June 21, 2017
    Whanganui Premiere
Director Biography - Kevin Double

Kevin is a highly skilled director, award winning cinematographer and editor. As a child he experienced the magic of 8mm cine film 'home movies' to capture moments in time. He began by helping his brother making Video 8 horror movies, developing a passion for the increasing use of digital technology in filmmaking. His first paid film work was scientific videography for the UK Military camouflage unit using some of the world's most advanced digital cameras. He went on to specialise and followed a career in computing.

In 2007 he emigrated to NZ and quickly returned to the world of filmmaking. He has since attended Melbourne University film school, and enjoyed learning his craft through numerous online film courses. He is now excited to be teaching story telling and editing techniques in his home town of Whanganui, New Zealand, and the Pacific.

Telling stories is my passion, discovering life is the reward. (Kevin Double, 2017).

His feature documentary credits include "For Children" (DoP/Editor) and "Show Your Hand - behind the scenes of Project Born" (camera/editor). Plus dozens of short form documentaries for NZ charities & organisations. Kevin is co‐owner and co-­director of Double Farley Creative Partners Ltd who produced Set In Stone, and co-director of Confluence Whanganui Ltd.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Set In Stone is a fascinating and unique story of Māori and New Zealand culture now and from World War One. Filmed over 12 months, mainly in Whanganui, New Zealand at the historically significant site Pākaitore reserve (also known as Moutoa Gardens). On the surface this story is a journey following the restoration of a 100 year old stone memorial. Each of the key moments are shown with a degree of technical information conveyed by the professionals themselves, often to camera whilst engaged in the activities on site.

The events captured are considered to be once in a lifetime occurrences - i.e. building a war memorial for an entire people - so beyond the story and characters featured this film is an important historical document of a process and people that is often lost through time.

The production also makes use of studio interviews for key project people and extensive use of archive photography and video. The former being digitally modified with a 3d layering effect.

The inclusion of a single composers tracks for the soundtrack compliments the story and imagery.

A narration for key historical moments was recorded by a local iwi member in Te Reo. English translations are included as on screen text blended into the footage shown.

We see a wide audience appeal covering those with passions for stories of history, the Māori Pioneer Battalion, and how stone masons and conservators are battling to ensure New Zealand’s monument heritage continues into the future. An international audience will be attracted to a story of indigenous people and historical examples of cooperation between them and settlers to achieve a common goal, both at huge sacrifice. The topic of imbalance between those groups is touched upon in the film, and we see it providing a basis for further discussion.