Country Lads (1941) (4K digital restoration)
Channel: Archives New Zealand
Date: 16/06/2021

New Zealand's National Film Unit presents 'Country Lads' (1941).

On 3 July 1941 'Country Lads' became the first film released by the National Film Unit (NFU). The NFU is probably better known today as being the predecessor to Park Road Post, Sir Peter Jackson's post production facility in Miramar. Over its fifty year history the NFU produced hundreds of films for both domestic and international audiences. It also provided a formative training ground for New Zealand film makers and the burgeoning New Zealand film industry.

The circumstances surrounding the creation of the NFU arose out of wartime necessity however. The New Zealand government had been commissioning films to be produced for tourism and publicity purposes since the 1920s, and purchased the Miramar studio lot in 1936. But by the start of the Second World War the demand for these kinds of films had stopped, and the studios were intended to be closed. However as the War continued, the value of film as a means of communicating information and propaganda throughout the country was recognised, and in 1941 the Prime Minister Peter Fraser exercised his wartime emergency powers and established a National Film Unit.

'Country Lads' was the first film produced by the NFU, and is a clear demonstration of the intended purpose of the Unit. It depicts the departure of Kiwi troops to the front, and takes its name from a speech given by Hitler referring to New Zealand soldiers as 'poor, deluded country lads'. This film conveys the skill and pride of Kiwi troops, and emphasises how ordinary men and women from all different walks of life willingly took up the call serve. 'Country Lads' is also a reminder of the impact of war on the close-knit society of New Zealand in the 1940s, and the goodbyes that are said to loved ones are still poignant today.

Archives reference: AAPG W3471 686 / 1154

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Material from Archives New Zealand
Although copies of this film exist in many archives the original nitrate master negatives were damaged and so most copies are poor quality dupes of dupes. Archives New Zealand, with Weta Digital and Park Road Post Production, undertook a 4K digital intermediate restoration of the film from the damaged negative. Digitally fixing damaged frames, cleaning, grading and stabilising the image. The 4K information was then written back onto Fuji Eterna-RDS film stock, with the 4K DPX files being kept too.