Early days yet: a profile of the poet Allen Curnow

This is a beautifully presented documentary about the life and memories of the highly acclaimed New Zealand poet, critic and anthropologist, Allen Curnow. At the age of almost 90, Allen Curnow still wrote poetry using “a ball-point, quantities of A4 paper, and a typewriter”. Charming, gentle and retiring, family man and serious poet, Allen Curnow has won many awards in the world of literature including seven New Zealand Book Awards and the first person outside of Britain to receive the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry. The program features Curnow reading several of his poems accompanied by evocative and emotive images to illustrate his writings which often reflect memories of people, places or events from his past. With his quiet sense of humor and reminiscing, and through interviews with his wife Jenny, and fellow poets including Bill Manhire, C.K. Stead, Ian Wedde, Leigh Davis and Elizabeth Smither, Allen Curnow allows us a glimpse into both his personal and his creative life. The documentary takes its title from his latest publication “Early days yet: new and collected poems 1941-1997”. Sadly Allen Curnow passed away on 23 September 2001, three months after completion of this film. Contains archival footage and some scenes in b&w.