Legendary New Zealand actor Sam Neill, known most widely for his role as Dr. Alan Grant in the Jurassic Park movies, sadly passed away on Monday, July 13th. His acting career spread through many genres including comedy, horror, drama, and beyond. But before his acting career really kicked off, Neill spent some time directing a few documentaries for the National Film Unit of New Zealand, including a short film about freestyle skiing.
Flare – A Ski Trip was directed for the New Zealand Tourist and Publicity Board (later replaced by the New Zealand Tourism Board and the Ministry of Tourism). It shows seven skiers displaying the art of freestyle skiing at locations around New Zealand, including Mount Hutt and Coronet Peak in Queenstown. The film primarily focuses on the three disciplines of freestyle skiing, being ski ballet, moguls, and aerials.
The film is obviously dated (ski ballet is sadly a rather lost art, though many try to keep the tradition going), but it’s a very fun look at the New Zealand ski culture in the 70s. Of course knowing that Sam Neill directed it just makes it extra special.