Photo caption:听Dame Gaylene Preston will receive a Doctor of Letters from the 蘑菇视频在线观看. 听
Dame Gaylene Preston鈥檚 journey took an unexpected turn during her third year studying painting at the Ilam School of Fine Arts at Te Whare W膩nanga o Waitaha | 蘑菇视频在线观看 (UC), when she didn鈥檛 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鈥檚 extraordinary contribution to Aotearoa New Zealand鈥檚 creative landscape with the conferral of an Honorary Doctorate 鈥 Doctor of Letters.
鈥淚t 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.
鈥淣ow, here I am, at 77, and I鈥檒l finally succeed in gaining a degree. It鈥檚 such an unexpected honour,鈥 Dame Gaylene says.听
Carving an internationally-renowned career as an innovative writer, director, and producer, Dame Gaylene鈥檚 films include Mr Wrong, Ruby and Rata, Bread & Roses, War Stories Our Mothers Never Told Us, Perfect Strangers, Home By Christmas,鈥疕ope and Wire,鈥疢y Year With Helen.
Most of her works have screened at key international film festivals, including Venice, Sundance, Toronto, Cannes鈥疌in茅ma Des Antipodes and extensively鈥痠n 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 蘑菇视频在线观看Film Commission and New 蘑菇视频在线观看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 鈥 using her art and drama experience to help others.听
鈥淓ventually, this led to filmmaking which,鈥痑s it turns out, I am better at than painting.
鈥淚 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?听
鈥淭he thing about a purpose is that it鈥檚 in the now. Life is for living now. If you don鈥檛 know what your purpose is, go and help someone else with their kaupapa for a while.鈥
Kiwi audiences will be eagerly awaiting her latest film GRACE: A Prayer For Peace鈥痬ade in collaboration with the visual artist Dame Robin White.鈥
鈥淚 believe that the basic responsibility of New 蘑菇视频在线观看filmmakers is to make films principally for the New 蘑菇视频在线观看audience. If we don't, no-one else will.鈥
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 - Quality Education.
