Forgotten Silver (1995) on Netflix
A presenter says he found lost reels in an old shed. They belong to Colin McKenzie, born in rural New Zealand in 1888, and the documentary pieces together his career.
- Netflix4.4/5
- IMDb7.4/106,578 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes100%
Trailer
Plot summary
A documentary crew examines the life of Colin McKenzie, a New Zealand filmmaker born in 1888 who is put forward as a pioneer of international cinema. His films, reported lost, are said to have been recovered from an old shed. The footage credits him with the tracking shot, achieved by accident, and the close-up, achieved unintentionally, as well as sound and color years before their documented invention. Fragments survive of Salome, an epic made on a giant set in the New Zealand forests. A computer enhancement of one reel is offered as proof that Richard Pearse flew a powered aircraft months before the Wright Brothers. Actors, archivists and industry figures give deadpan interviews, and a recovered film is screened at a premiere presented by Lindsay Shelton.
Cast
- Beatrice Ashtonas Hannah McKenzie
- Johnny Morrisas Himself - Film Archivist (as Jonathon Morris)
- John O'Sheaas Himself
- Charlie McClellanas Soldier Firing Machine Gun in Gallipolli (uncredited)
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Forgotten Silver (1995)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Forgotten Silver was first aired on TVNZ's TV ONE in a slot usually reserved for plays and mini-series, but billed and introduced as a serious documentary, fooling many viewers until the directors revealed the hoax, creating controversy.
