Editing Forgotten Silver

{{short description|1995 New Zealand television film}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=November 2012}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Forgotten Silver
 
| image	=	Forgotten Silver FilmPoster.jpeg
| caption        = UK DVD cover
| director       = [[Peter Jackson]]<br>Costa Botes
| producer       = Sue Rogers
| writer         = Peter Jackson<br>Costa Botes
| narrator       = 
| starring = {{Plainlist|
* [[Thomas Robins (actor)|Thomas Robins]]
* [[Jeffrey Thomas (actor)|Jeffrey Thomas]]
* Peter Jackson
* Costa Botes
* [[Harvey Weinstein]]
* [[Leonard Maltin]]
* [[Sam Neill]]}}
| music          = Duncan Davidson<br>[[David Donaldson (composer)|David Donaldson]]<br>[[Plan 9 (band)|Plan 9]]<br>[[Steve Roche]]<br>[[Janet Roddick]]
| cinematography = Alun Bollinger<br>Gerry Vasbenter
| editing        = [[Michael J. Horton]]
| studio         = [[WingNut Films]]
| distributor    = 
| released       = {{Film date|1995|10|29|df=y}}
| runtime        = 53 minutes
| country        = New Zealand
| language       = English
| budget         = 
| gross          = $26,459
}}
'''''Forgotten Silver''''' is a 1995 New Zealand [[mockumentary]] film that purports to tell the story of a pioneering New Zealand filmmaker. It was written and directed by [[Peter Jackson]] and Costa Botes, both of whom appear in the film in their roles as makers of the documentary.

==Synopsis==
''Forgotten Silver'' purports to tell the story of "forgotten" New Zealand filmmaker Colin McKenzie, and the rediscovery of his lost films, which presenter Peter Jackson claims to have found in an old shed. McKenzie is presented as the first and greatest innovator of modern cinema, single-handedly inventing the tracking shot (by accident), the close-up (unintentionally), and both sound and colour film years before their historically documented creation. The film also shows fragments of an epic Biblical film, ''Salome'', supposedly made by McKenzie in a giant set in the forests of New Zealand, and a "computer enhancement" of a McKenzie film proving that New Zealander [[Richard Pearse]] was the first man to invent a powered aircraft, several months before the [[Wright Brothers]].<ref>[http://www.nzonscreen.com/person/colin-mckenzie/biography McKenzie] (faked biography)</ref>

The film also shows a (staged) premiere screening of a recovered McKenzie film presented by film promoter Lindsay Shelton. It features deadpan commentary from actor/director [[Sam Neill]] and director and film archivist [[John O'Shea (director)|John O'Shea]], as well as critical praise from international industry notables including film historian [[Leonard Maltin]], and [[Harvey Weinstein]] of [[Miramax Films]].

In reality, McKenzie is a fictional character, and the films featured in ''Forgotten Silver'' were all created by Peter Jackson, carefully mimicking the style of [[early cinema]]. The interviewees are all acting. [[Thomas Robins (actor)|Thomas Robins]], the actor who portrays Colin McKenzie, is today more easily recognized by audiences as [[Sméagol]]'s ill-fated cousin [[Déagol]] in Jackson's ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King]]''.

==Cast==
As themselves:
* [[Jeffrey Thomas (actor)|Jeffrey Thomas]] (narrator)
* [[Peter Jackson]]
* Johnny Morris
* Costa Botes
* [[Harvey Weinstein]]
* [[Leonard Maltin]]
* [[Sam Neill]]
* [[John O'Shea (director)|John O'Shea]]
* Marguerite Hurst
* Lindsay Shelton

Actors:
* Beatrice Ashton - Hannah McKenzie
* [[Thomas Robins (actor)|Thomas Robins]] - Colin McKenzie
* Richard Shirtcliffe - Brooke McKenzie
* Peter Corrigan - Stan "the Man" Wilson
* [[Sarah McLeod]] - May Belle

== Production ==
Costa Botes directed the "documentary" portions while Peter Jackson created the "archive footage" supposedly filmed by McKenzie. Jackson also shot fake interviews in [[Los Angeles]], including the one with Weinstein.

== Reception ==
The film was first aired on [[Television New Zealand]]'s channel [[TV One (New Zealand)|TV ONE]] at a time usually dedicated to [[Play (theatre)|plays]] and [[mini-series]], but was billed and introduced as a serious documentary. Many viewers were fooled until the directors shortly afterwards revealed that it was a hoax. This created controversy.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.davidbordwell.net/blog/?p=596 | title = Observations on film art and ''Film Art'' | publisher = David Bordwell | access-date = 2007-03-27}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | first=Craig |last=Hight | url = http://www.waikato.ac.nz/film/mock-doc/fs.shtml | title = Forgotten Silver | work = Mock-documentary: the subversion of factuality | publisher = Screen and Media Studies Department, University of Waikato, New Zealand | access-date = 2007-03-27}} Derived from {{cite book |last=Roscoe |first=Jane |author2=Craig Hight |title=Faking It: Mock-documentary and the subversion of factuality |url=http://www.waikato.ac.nz/film/mock-doc/book.shtml |year=2001 |publisher=Manchester University Press |location=Manchester, U.K. |isbn=978-0-7190-5641-3}}</ref> The film was later screened at [[film festival]]s.

== References ==
<references/>

==Bibliography==
* Conrich, Ian/Smith, Roy (2006): ''Fool's Gold: New Zealand's Forgotten Silver, Myth and National Identity.'' In: Rhodes, Gary Don/Springer, John Parris (eds.) (2006): ''Docufictions. Essays on the intersection of documentary and fictional filmmaking.'' Jefferson, NC: McFarland, pp.&nbsp;230–236.
* Roscoe, Jane/Hight, Craig (1997): ''Mocking silver: Reinventing the documentary project (or, Grierson lies bleeding).'' In: Continuum: Journal of Media & Cultural Studies, 11:1, pp.&nbsp;67–82 ([http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/10304319709359419 full text]; Article provides background information and an analysis of audience responses to the film)
* Roscoe, Jane/Hight, Craig (2006): ''Forgotten Silver: A New Zealand Television Hoax and Its Audience.'' In: [[Alexandra Juhasz|Juhasz, Alexandra]]/Lerner, Jesse (eds.) (2006): ''F is for Phony. Fake Documentary and Truth’s Undoing.'' Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, pp.&nbsp;171–186.

== External links ==
* {{IMDb title|0116344}}
* {{rotten-tomatoes|forgotten_silver}}

{{Peter Jackson}}

[[Category:1990s mockumentary films]]
[[Category:1995 films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Peter Jackson]]
[[Category:New Zealand comedy films]]
[[Category:WingNut Films films]]
[[Category:Hoaxes in New Zealand]]
[[Category:1995 hoaxes]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Peter Jackson]]
[[Category:1995 comedy films]]
[[Category:1990s English-language films]]