Academy Award-winning director inspires film students during University visit
Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington alumna Dame Jane Campion visited Kelburn campus recently, for a short film screening and Q&A session.
Campion studied Anthropology at Te Herenga Waka and graduated in 1975. Following this she went overseas to further her craft in painting, before pursuing a filmmaking career and releasing her first short film, Peel, in 1982. At the 1993 Cannes Film Festival, Campion won the ceremony’s top prize for The Piano—the first woman, and first Aotearoa New Zealand film to do so. At the 2021 Oscars, she won the Academy Award for Best Director for The Power of the Dog, amongst 11 other nominations.
During the visit, Campion was welcomed by Provost Bryony James, before a showing of Peel. The eight-minute short film depicts a father attempting to discipline his son for throwing orange peel out the window on a summertime road trip. Peel won the Palme d'Or for Best Short Film at the 1986 Cannes Film Festival.
After the film screening, Campion sat down to answer some questions from film teaching staff Dr Missy Molloy, Lala Rolls, and Raqi Sayed.
“The joy of shorts is not having the plot responsibility,” Campion said when asked about her love of short films. “You are able to explore other aspects that make a film, such as atmosphere and emotion.”
Campion went on to answer questions from the audience, a crowd comprised of students across a variety of subjects including film, theatre, design, English literature, and anthropology.
“I asked Jane about knowing when you have a good idea for a piece of work, and was able to thank her personally at the end for all she has done for both New Zealand and women filmmakers everywhere,” film student Sophie Bovett shares. “When she was speaking, the students hung on to her every word.”
“Jane delighted us with her remarkable success stories, but also spoke of her mistakes in such an authentic way,” first-year student Zara Lyne says. “It was a privilege to have a window into her life for the evening, particularly because she was once a Vic Uni student too.”
Lillian Goodliffe, a teaching assistant in film, says it was great for students to be able to sit and listen to a Kiwi filmmaker first-hand. “We talk about directors like Campion and Waititi who come from here, but there's like this veneer of distance,” she explains. “Having Campion come speak was like this definitive moment—here it is! The evidence we've all been waiting for that you can come to Vic, study film, and make it big!
“I got to see a couple past students who are focused on practical filmmaking ask Campion questions, and you could see it on their faces how important it was to have someone like her come and speak.”
As the session drew to a close, Campion stayed around chatting to students about their studies and upcoming projects they were working on. The University was delighted to be able to host Campion, as both an accredited filmmaker and distinguished alumna.
Learn more about studying Film at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington.