Family’s alternative life on Coast

Press, 28 November 1977, Page 15

Family’s alternative life on Coast

For interesting viewing tonight, turn to the last in the independent “Scene” productions from TVI entitled “We Live Ourselves,” written and directed by Hanafi Hayes, of Christchurch. Filmed over a period of 15 months by Telenion Productions (Hayes’s firm), it is the intriguing story of a large family, who formerly lived in Sumner, who turned back the clock 100 years in order to preserve their values from a society they feel is increasingly eroding them. Tim Vos, his wife, Jos, and their seven children, gave up their “hustle, bustle” city life and moved to the West Coast. There they live an alternative life, much in the same way as the early pioneers of this country, and certainly including many of the same hardships. Hanafi Hayes does not appear in the programme, which is in marked contrast to his usual style of presentation. And he adds: “All those critics who claim that I style myself on Alan Whicker, David Frost, and Johnny Morris will have a job to find who I styled this one on.” Hanafi says he greatly

enjoyed making the film which looks at how Tim Vos and his family live, why they chose to live like the pioneers, and why they chose the West Coast to try to retain their values and ideals.

By

KEN COATES

The film records experiences the film-makers were able to share with the family during six weeks of filming over a period of 15 months. “It is a beautiful film, full of food for thought, full of human behaviour, with beautiful photography and sound, and beautiful music,” claims the maker.

Just why Television One has chosen to screen the independent production .at 9.40 p.m., well out of prime time, is not clear. As Hayes points out, it is a programme for all the family —- it is about a family which lives in a style that will recall memories for the very old, and be fascinating for the very young. There is such a scarcity of high-quality family viewing programmes that one would imagine TVI programme planners to be at great pains to ensure that New Zealandmade television productions in this category are viewed by as wide an audience as possible. And as it is, the earlier programmes — “Close to Home,” a repeat of Jacques! Cousteau, “Dateline Monday,” the lightweight BBC comedy, “The Rough with the Smooth” — are hardly compulsory viewing.