''The River Wanganui'' is a 1913 documentary shot in New Zealand in 1912 on the 1912–13 South Pacific film-making voyage of French director

Gaston Méliès Gaston Méliès (; February 12, 1852 – April 9, 1915) was a French film director who worked primarily in the United States. He was the brother of the film director Georges Méliès. Biography Gaston and the third and elder Méliès brother, ...

. Like many of his films shot on that trip, it is now lost. The film was released in the US in 1913, and was described then as a "trip up New Zealand’s most picturesque river known as the Rhine of that country." The river is now called the

Whanganui River The Whanganui River is a major river in the North Island of New Zealand. It is the country's third-longest river, and has special status owing to its importance to the region's Māori people. In March 2017 it became the world's second natura ...

. In September 1912 press reports said that: :There will be a big Maori gathering shortly at Paranui, a place some 15 miles above Pipiriki, on the Wanganui River, to open a new native meeting-house. Several hundreds of Maoris from all parts of the district are expected to attend. Among the visitors will be the Melies Picture Company, who anticipate finding excellent materials for the kinematograph in the typical Maori scenes. A later press report in October 1912 said that: :Mr Edmund Mitchell, a well-known novelist and journalist arrived at Wellington from San Francisco by the Aorangi last week with Mr Gaston Melies a moving-picture manufacturer with a full dramatic company on a tour of the Pacific for film-making purposes .... (the Aorangi arrived on 12 September via Rarotonga and Papeete) The Méliès Company party of 14 (excluding Edmund Mitchell the novelist, who was to write screenplays) left San Francisco on 24 June 1912, and by 4 November 1912 had left New Zealand for Australia. They were in Wellington for a week, and during two weeks in Rotorua they "took many pictures of Maori life, and had several of the most picturesque legends acted before the camera." Méliès made three feature films in New Zealand during his stay. They are

Hinemoa Hinemoa is a popular female Māori given name, often shortened to Hine. It is particularly associated with Hinemoa and Tutanekai, a Māori legend about a couple kept apart. Other people with the name include: * Hinemoa Elder Hinemoa Elder ...

How Chief Te Ponga Won His Bride ''How Chief Te Ponga Won His Bride'' is a 1913 New Zealand feature film directed and produced by Gaston Méliès. Principal photography took place in New Zealand.

and

Loved by a Maori Chieftess ''Loved by a Maori Chieftess'' is a 1913 New Zealand feature film directed by Gaston Méliès. Principal photography took place in Rotorua, New Zealand.

. Méliès sent his film to the United States for post-production treatment, so it is doubtful if any were shown in New Zealand. According to Sam Edwards, Méliès made five scenic films and three feature films or dramas in New Zealand.''New Zealand Film 1912-1996'' by Helen Martin & Sam Edwards p9 (1997, Oxford University Press, Auckland) Other 1913 Méliès films about New Zealand from the

Internet Movie Database IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...

(links below) are: *''A Trip to the Waitomo Caves of New Zealand'' (documentary) *''A Trip through the North Island of New Zealand, from Auckland to Wellington'' (documentary) *''In the Land of Fire'' (drama according to IMDb) *''The Maoris of New Zealand'' (documentary)

External links

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''South Sea Pictures'' (The Melies Company leaves San Francisco)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:River Wanganui, The 1913 films 1913 documentary films 1913 lost films 1912 in New Zealand Films shot in New Zealand Lost New Zealand films New Zealand documentary films Anthropology documentary films Films directed by Gaston Méliès Films produced by Gaston Méliès New Zealand silent films