Documentary about Don Mcglashan

Shirley Horrocks (Director/Producer) and Lani-Rain Feltham (Producer) have begun to make a feature-length documentary about Don McGlashan, an Arts Foundation Laureate who is one of our most acclaimed singers and song-writers.

Over four decades he has created many of our most loved songs, yet this will be the first in-depth documentary about him! Don is hugely liked and respected in the music community, and many of its members have told us “This project is so overdue!”

This is our project not Don’s, but he has generously given us his full cooperation. We have done lots of research and done initial filming, but we urgently need funding to continue following the exciting events in Don’s schedule.  We’ll keep you posted about them. 

“Dominion Road,” “Anchor Me,” “Don’t Fight It Marsha,” “White Valiant” and “Bathe in the River” are just a few of the songs created by Don that have become iconic in Aotearoa.

Don has had a series of famous bands – Blam Blam Blam, the Front Lawn , and the Muttonbirds – and he’s played in the Auckland Philharmonic and been a member of From Scratch. He has also written the music for many of Aotearoa’s best films (starting with An Angel at My Table).  

That’s the music, but who is the man? What makes him tick, and where do the songs come from? Why did he choose to return home after establishing an international career? How has his approach to music evolved? How difficult has it been to make one’s life as a professional musician?
Those questions will summon up fascinating and moving personal stories. 

The documentary will trace his eventful life and career, interwoven with the music. Many other notable musicians, both local and overseas, will appear.  But central to it all will be Don himself as a lively, thoughtful, eloquent commentator. 

We live in dark times, but this film will be a great morale-booster as the story of a creative artist who has survived many personal challenges and continues to produce great music!  

We’re running a 30-day campaign to raise $30,000 for the project. Please help us reach our target by making a contribution (which will be tax-deductible). 'Boosted' is an all-or-nothing platform, and if our target isn’t reached in thirty days, we won't receive a single dollar. (In that case, donors would get their money back.) Please spread the word by sharing this page with your friends and community. 

We need to get the word out there!

THE DIRECTOR / PRODUCER

Shirley Horrocks has been described by the NZ International Film Festival / Whānau Mārama as the New Zealand director whose work has been represented most often in the Festival.
Helen Martin in the Directory of World Cinema wrote:

“Shirley Horrocks has undertaken the important cultural work of documenting New Zealand’s arts, culture and history in painstakingly-researched, in-depth films that record and celebrate.”

Their subjects have included Marti Friedlander, Len Lye, Albert Wendt, Allen Curnow, John Reynolds, Lisa Reihana, Merimeri Penfold, Julia Morison, and many others, with the films winning many awards. Shirley has completed every project she has initiated and has won many awards. Her films have always received extensive, on-going use as a permanent record of our great cultural figures. 

OUR TEAM

The team for the documentary on Don includes cinematographers David Paul, Nina Wells, Fred Renata and Jess Charlton editors Tim Woodhouse and Steven Mountjoy all well-known film-makers associated with many important projects. Lani-rain Feltham has produced for Vincent Ward, Florian Habicht and many others.