The Town That Lost a Miracle

Episode aired 1972
30m

YOUR RATING

In the summer of 1955 a friendly dolphin swam with the children at Opononi in the Hokianga Harbour, rousing national interest.In the summer of 1955 a friendly dolphin swam with the children at Opononi in the Hokianga Harbour, rousing national interest.In the summer of 1955 a friendly dolphin swam with the children at Opononi in the Hokianga Harbour, rousing national interest.

Director
- Barry Barclay
Writer
- James McNeish

See production info at IMDbPro

YOUR RATING

Director
- Barry Barclay
Writer
- James McNeish

1User review

See production info at IMDbPro

Photos

Storyline

Edit

User reviews1

Review

Featured review

9/10

Sensitive and evocative documentary portrait of a magical summer

Opononi became the focus of national attention in 1955 thanks to a famously friendly dolphin. Seventeen years later, working with writer James McNeish, Barry Barclay visits Opononi and gently but tellingly probes the legend of that magical summer and the mystery of its violent end. - Bill Gosden, NZIFF (reprinted with permission)

Screened in 2009 as part of a Barry Barclay retrospective at the New Zealand International Film Festival.

This retrospective made explicit that Barry Barclay, working before Aotearoa contained anything resembling a film industry, made some of the most gentle and rich films ever produced here. Often neglected, they are a rich resource as cultural artifacts and as works of art.