A CURA DELLA REDAZIONE
Jonathan established the New Zealand Film Archive in 1981 and was its
director until 1990. During this time, while coping with inadequate
funding and cramped, temporary accommodations, the Archive searched out
and restored thousands of feet of historical film and related materials
which would otherwise have been lost.
By the end of its first year of operation the Archive had gained
observer status at FIAF and was accredited full membership in 1985.
Jonathan maintained an acute awareness of New Zealand's unique character
and position in the South Pacific and the archive model that he
developed differed from those established in Europe and America. He
gained wide respect in the international archival community for this and
also for his enthusiastic participation at FIAF conferences and forums.
Many of his FIAF colleagues remained enduring friends.
Jonathan curated major international retrospectives of New Zealand film,
notably in France, Italy and Australia and arranged screenings of early
Maori films to accompany the Te Maori exhibition to North America in
1984. Accompanying him on many of these occasions was his close friend
and respected elder of the Film Archive, Witarina Harris, star of the
1929 Universal film Under the Southern Cross aka The Devils Pit.
In 1990 Jonathan was awarded the Queen's Service Medal for his role in
establishing the Archive. His work was also acknowledged by the
international film community in 1993 at Le Giornate del Cinema Muto,
Pordenone, when he was presented the prestigious Jean Mitry Award for
his services to silent film.
Jonathan's subsequent career included award-winning radio broadcasts; a
documentary film [Mouth Wide Open] about pioneer New Zealand filmmaker
Ted Coubray; several books [Film in Aotearoa New Zealand; Aotearoa and
the Sentimental Strine; Silent Migration] and a series of historical
sound recordings.
Courtesy of New Zealand Film Archive
