Renowned Filmmaker Turns Failure To Success

When you see the accolades and awards that filmmaker Dame Gaylene Preston has received over her stellar career, it’s hard to believe she’s ever failed.

Dame Gaylene Preston’s journey took an unexpected turn during her third year studying painting at the Ilam School of Fine Arts at Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury (UC), when she didn’t pass several of her end-of-year exams. She left without completing her degree and pursued a different path - one that would lead to a remarkable career in film and storytelling.

This Autumn Graduation, UC is proud to recognise Dame Gaylene’s extraordinary contribution to Aotearoa New Zealand’s creative landscape with the conferral of an Honorary Doctorate – Doctor of Letters.

“It was 1968 and there I was, 22 years old and back in my hometown of Napier and all I had were Fs. Fortunately, no one in my family had been to university and they were more concerned about me getting married and having children.

“Now, here I am, at 77, and I’ll finally succeed in gaining a degree. It’s such an unexpected honour,” Dame Gaylene says.

Carving an internationally-renowned career as an innovative writer, director, and producer, Dame Gaylene’s films include Mr Wrong, Ruby and Rata, Bread & Roses, War Stories Our Mothers Never Told Us, Perfect Strangers, Home By Christmas,Hope and Wire,My Year with Helen.

Most of her works have screened at key international film festivals, including Venice, Sundance, Toronto, CannesCinéma Des Antipodes and extensivelyin Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. In 2001 Gaylene was the first filmmaker to receive an Arts Foundation Laureate Award and in 2002 she was made an Officer of the NZ Order of Merit for services to the film industry. She has received multiple awards for her contribution to the industry and has served on most industry boards such as the New Zealand Film Commission and New Zealand On Air.

Dame Gaylene describes her career as a series of successes and setbacks.

After quitting her studies, she took a job as an assistant at a psychiatric day hospital in Christchurch. Inadvertently, that was where she found her purpose – using her art and drama experience to help others.

“Eventually, this led to filmmaking which,as it turns out, I am better at than painting.

“I really believe my career path has helped me understand the importance of having a purpose rather than a dream. When I was young, I dreamed of being a world class painter, but dreams require you to achieve all these milestones along the way. But what if you miss those milestones?

“The thing about a purpose is that it’s in the now. Life is for living now. If you don’t know what your purpose is, go and help someone else with their kaupapa for a while.”

Kiwi audiences will be eagerly awaiting her latest film GRACE: A Prayer For Peacemade in collaboration with the visual artist Dame Robin White.

“I believe that the basic responsibility of New Zealand filmmakers is to make films principally for the New Zealand audience. If we don't, no-one else will.”

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