In this year's line-up of Homegrown Animation shorts is something that might just change your concept of documentary filmmaking.

Conversing with Aotearoa/New Zealand is an animated documentary by Corrie Francis, a Fulbright Fellow to New Zealand in 2005. The score for the film is by Wellington-based composer Amy Davidson.In this year's line-up of Homegrown Animation shorts is something that might just change your concept of documentary filmmaking.

Conversing with Aotearoa/New Zealand is an animated documentary by Corrie Francis, a Fulbright Fellow to New Zealand in 2005. The score for the film is by Wellington-based composer Amy Davidson.What exactly is an animated documentary? In this particular instance, the arc of the film is based on voice interviews of Kiwis as they attempt to fathom their deep, personal connection with their land.

Among the interviewees are hunters, fishermen, farmers, trampers, mountaineers, adventurer-racers, conservationists, ecologists, artists, urban and rural dwellers, Pakeha, Maori and tourists, young, old and in between. The thread that ties them all together is a passion and love for the wild places in New Zealand.

But while this documentary remains rooted in real people and situations, it transcends the literal representation of live action filmaking. Through Corrie Francis's combination of hand-drawn animation, time-lapse photography and stop-motion animation, the viewer experiences a new level of emotional and symbolic understanding.

In this age of technological integration and urban life, people turn to the natural world for a wilderness experience. What draws us to the remote corners of land and sea when we realise something in our lives is missing?

Conversing with Aotearoa/New Zealand uses unique visual imagery to take the viewer into the physical and metal wilderness encompassed in the diverse landscapes of New Zealand.

The film premiered at the Banff Mountain Film Festival in Canada and has played in festivals around the world. It will be playing in the Homegrown Animation programme at various dates and times around New Zealand during the Telecom New Zealand International Film Festivals.

16/7/07