Inez is a funny, kind, smart 11-year-old kid. But life for her has been very difficult in a way that will resonate with a lot of families. First published December 8, 2020. Inez is part of Frame, a series of short documentaries produced by Wrestler for The Spinoff. Inez wakes up at 6:30am every day, but some … Read more
Visitors travel from far and wide to Northland’s Waipoua Forest, home of Tāne Mahuta, one of the largest trees in the world. But with the forest under threat from the spread of kauri dieback, are they putting Tāne Mahuta and his brothers and sisters at risk? First published December 1, 2020. Into Darkness is part … Read more
Michelle Kidd defines her role at Auckland’s specialist family violence court as te kaiwhakatere – the navigator. It’s a one-of-a-kind job, helping guide defendants through the court system. And there’s no one better suited to it than Whaea Michelle. First published November 24, 2020. Whaea Michelle is part of Frame, a series of short documentaries produced by … Read more
Just as sexuality is a spectrum, so too is asexuality. In Ace of Hearts, members of New Zealand’s asexual community talk about the challenges and misconceptions of identifying as ace. First published November 17, 2020. Ace of Hearts is part of Frame, a series of short documentaries produced by Wrestler for The Spinoff. “A lot of … Read more
Few people outside of her campaign team gave Chlöe Swarbrick any chance of winning in Auckland Central this year – but the Green Party MP was too busy to listen. Here’s how they turned the electorate green. First published November 12, 2020. Three Ticks Chlöe is part of Frame, a series of short documentaries produced by … Read more
On the edge of the Mataura River, a disused paper mill is filled with thousands of bags of toxic waste. Locals want to find out who’s responsible for it – and they want it gone before disaster strikes. First published November 10, 2020. The Paper Mill is part of Frame, a series of short documentaries … Read more
Inez is a funny, kind, smart 11-year-old kid. But life for her has been very difficult in a way that will resonate with a lot of families. Inez is part of Frame, a series of short documentaries produced by Wrestler for The Spinoff. Inez wakes up at 6:30am every day, but some mornings she’s still late to … Read more
The final in this season of Frame documentaries introduces 11-year-old Inez. Her story is one that will resonate with a lot of families, writes mum Sonia Gray. Inez is part of Frame, a series of short documentaries produced by Wrestler for The Spinoff. This film is about my daughter Inez. She’s 11 years old and is … Read more
Once plentiful, Kauri and Tohorā now face the threat of extinction. To save them we need to listen to the message of Tiwaiwaka, writes Donna Kerridge. We’ve heard it all before: New Zealand was a nation dependent upon whaling and logging for its economic survival and today we depend on farming, fishing, gas and oil … Read more
Visitors travel from far and wide to Northland’s Waipoua Forest, home of Tāne Mahuta, one of the largest trees in the world. But with the forest under threat from the spread of kauri dieback, are they putting Tāne Mahuta and his brothers and sisters at risk? Into Darkness is part of Frame, a series of short … Read more
Michelle Kidd defines her role at Auckland’s specialist family violence court as te kaiwhakatere – the navigator. It’s a one-of-a-kind job, helping guide defendants through the court system. And there’s no one better suited to it than Whaea Michelle. Whaea Michelle is part of Frame, a series of short documentaries produced by Wrestler for The Spinoff. “If … Read more
New Zealand has some of the worst rates of family violence and abuse. Addressing those, especially in the courtroom, is about more than punishment. Teuila Fuatai reports. Whaea Michelle is part of Frame, a series of short documentaries produced by Wrestler for The Spinoff. Tucked away on the third floor of the Auckland District Court house … Read more
Endless misconceptions exist about people who identify as ‘ace’, and filmmaker Julie Zhu wants to clear some of them up in Frame documentary Ace of Hearts. “Bisexuality used to be ‘the invisible sexuality’, but now I feel like asexuality is. I see people in the LGBT community saying it’s not part of the LGBT spectrum.” … Read more
Just as sexuality is a spectrum, so too is asexuality. In Ace of Hearts, members of New Zealand’s asexual community talk about the challenges and misconceptions of identifying as ace. Ace of Hearts is part of Frame, a series of short documentaries produced by Wrestler for The Spinoff. “A lot of people don’t take it seriously,” … Read more
Few people outside of her campaign team gave Chlöe Swarbrick any chance of winning in Auckland Central this year – but the Green Party MP was too busy to listen. Here’s how they turned the electorate green. Three Ticks Chlöe is part of Frame, a series of short documentaries produced by Wrestler for The Spinoff. There … Read more
On the edge of the Mataura River, a disused paper mill is filled with thousands of bags of toxic waste. Locals want to find out who’s responsible for it – and they want it gone before disaster strikes. The Paper Mill is part of Frame, a series of short documentaries produced by Wrestler for The … Read more
In the latest in the Frame documentary series produced for The Spinoff by Wrestler and funded by NZ on Air, we meet the wāhine behind Hikurangi Enterprises, a cannabis co-op looking to revitalise Ruatōria. In Ruatōria the dead are watching. They stare down from the walls of the Kapohanga a Rangi wharenui on Hiruharama Marae: … Read more
In the latest Frame documentary for the Spinoff, produced by Wrestler and funded by NZ on Air, we meet the people who have made drag such a big part of Wellington’s popular culture. Wellington is one of the most accepting parts of the country to do drag, according to 21-year-old Monique Walford. “I feel like … Read more
In the latest in the Frame documentary series produced for The Spinoff by Wrestler and funded by NZ on Air, we follow chef Luke Adams as he prepares a hāngī for his children’s school fundraiser. “It never really seemed important in the beginning,” says Luke Adams. “It was just something that was always going on.” … Read more
The Spinoff is proud to present the latest in our Frame documentary series produced by Wrestler and funded by NZ on Air. Under The Korowai looks at Te Whare Marie, a kaupapa Māori mental service provider that is combining tohunga-led cultural therapy and clinical methods to help young Māori understand, rather than fear, their gifts. … Read more
Ethan Donnell, director of Sick Homes, the latest in the Frame documentary series produced for the Spinoff by Wrestler and funded by NZ on Air, describes the people he met, and the reality of the places they live Once a week, Brett Johnson takes apart the small machine that pumps air through a mask and … Read more
Best known for their door-to-door evangelising, Jehovah’s Witnesses are on a quest to save the ‘wicked’ from damnation. For victims of sexual abuse within the organisation, however, that quest has seen perpetrators shielded from justice. Amy Parsons-King has met several survivors as part of an investigation for The Spinoff. These are their stories. This feature … Read more
The Spinoff is proud to debut our Frame documentary series produced by Wrestler and funded by NZ on Air. The first is The Hookers of Hawera, about life in and around a small-town brothel named ‘Shh…’. Co-director Kim Vinnell explains how she came to the story, and what she learned along the way. When I … Read more