An introduction to the student projects, view the trailer in the movie file below. This exhibition brings to life personal narratives and reflections on the years 1914-1918 showcased as interpretive digital productions.
Browsing Category 1914-1918
Film Posters
Created by Callum McGillivray, Billie Holland, Jess Valvoi, Jackson Thomas and Cory Houghton.
Students designed a range of film posters to present a narrative of World War One based on the genres of 1920s drama, modern biography, melodrama and thriller.
“Acknowledging the history of film posters provides an understanding of how this visual technology tells and expands each individual and collective story.”
Radio NZ National Interview
Listen
to David Steemson from New Zealand National Radio interview the students about the Auckland Libraries exhibition and their connection with WW1 through their digital storytelling work. Click on the image or visit: http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/20158559
NZ Children 1914-1918
Created by Pari Sastri Slackhasone.
This video shows how children were encouraged to be cheerful and helpful to ease the worry and sorrow during the war . There were also many practical ways in which children could help the war effort.
“This video has upbeat music which I chose to reflect the innocence of children. It was a joyous approach that set us apart from the class as it was different from other Animotos [videos], which evoked the emotion of sadness.”
Women On The Home Front
Created by Charlie Mills, J’leanne Carpenter, Melania Tasi Wulf and Reo Hollick.
This blog shares the stories written from womens’ perspectives on the home front in the South Pacific during the First World War; how these women adapted to the impact of war and male absence.
The characters, featuring Maori, Samoan, Australian, and New Zealand European women, are brought to life through first person narratives drawn from research on real or imagined characters in the images.
“We believed that by bringing this information and research to the public eye.. [the blog] will allow the audience to imagine further into the story”
Click on the link to take you to the blog: http://unitecworldwarproject.blogspot.co.nz
My name is Te Puea Herangi. I was born at Whatiwhatihoe in the Waikato, I am the granddaughter of the second Màori king Tawhiao, which comes with huge responsibility. I am educated in Maori beliefs, values, and strongly believe in all my cultural principles. Price, W. A. (1990). Portrait of Te Kirihaehae Te Puea Herangi. Retrived from natlib.govt.nz/records
A Woman from Otago I am a member of the Otago Women’s Patriotic Association. I am a European-NZ woman and my husband is a solider in the war in Europe; he recently was balloted to provide his services. Our family slowly has to adjust to the changes during his absence. I look after the family and my eldest daughter is helping me with the young children. We are a family of five with three children. We are doing our best to run our daily lives smoothly just as we did before my husband left.
Gallipoli 1915
Created by Gal Stern, Emma Raho, Gagan Kalkat and Henrike Forschler.
This presentation draws on the battle of Gallipoli that took place in Turkey from April to December 1915. Fictional nurse Annie Johns recreates the lived experience of New Zealand nurses caring for wounded soldiers during the campaign by narrating an imagined story over historical images of time and place.
“Telling history through a fictional character is a great way to make history personal. The production of a video can be seen as a modern extension of diary or letter writing … Even though the project is based on the story of a fictional character, it still manages to depict Gallipoli’s reality at the time of World War One.”
Lost Letters
Created by Heather Mellor, Samantha Smith, Rachel Wilson, Sam Capper and Sophie Wang.
This project features two characters – a New Zealand migrant and her friend in England. The personal experiences of the war years are explored through fictionalised letters. The story is anchored on the munitions factory and the role of the Munitionettes. Historical information was embedded in each letter and writing styles were researched to enhance the letters to make them believable. A mix of constructed and real images are used to illustrate the story.
“The aim of ‘Lost Letters of a Munitionette’ was to create a world that would appeal to younger audiences but also earn the respect of World War One enthusiasts and to bring a new appreciation of women’s contributions to World War One.”
More Than A War : Lost Letters
Once on Chunuk Bair
Created by Ellaura O’Brien, Gemma Lane, Anita Sharp, Amberlee Jones and Hannah Shepard.
Director Ian Mune discusses with students his role, history and understanding of the WW1 play ‘Once on Chunuk Bair ‘ written by Maurice Shadbolt and produced in 2014 by The Auckland Theatre Company.
Soldiers occupying a trench during the Gallipoli campaign. Read, J C :Images of the Gallipoli campaign. Ref: 1/4-058131-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. http://natlib.govt.nz/records/22784138
“Ian Mune gave us an insight of both the production and development of Once on Chunuk Bair in the 1980s and today [2014]. He also gave us an insight as to what life was like at Chunuk Bair and the feelings and meaning behind war”.
Read, James Cornelius, 1871-1968. Soldiers occupying a trench during the Gallipoli campaign. Read, J C :Images of the Gallipoli campaign. Ref: 1/4-058130-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. http://natlib.govt.nz/records/23235687
Elements of Love
Created by Chantelle Taljaard, Emily Ly, Jason Nguyen and Yvette Orosa.
Students use love letters from the war years to recreate the story of Sadie Arbuckle and Harry Mason. This story is told through a series of photos taken at Auckland War Memorial Museum by students dressed in costumes of the period.
“The ramifications of war are not only seen in the battlefield, or in the soldiers that are fighting them, but also in the people who are left behind … Harry and Sadie’s story was just one of these countless goodbye’s that ended with grief during World War One.”
When Enemies Become Family
A documentary film produced by Sam Mclaren, Annabelle Grace and Shaun Constable.
Film Length: 20 mins
This intergenerational interview tells the story of two men who fought on opposite sides during World War One and their eventual connection through the next generation in New Zealand.
Student Sam Mclaren interviews his grandmother Noelene Mercer who recounts the story and shares her family history.
“I saw an opportunity to to include something I am really passionate about, my family’s history. I believe my Nana is very proud of not just me but my team also. Noelene said that one day I would be able to show this to my children and show them their family history”.
“In the end it is not the war itself we remember but the stories of countless men and women”.
More Than A War 
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