The Water Cycle - Documentary with young Sam Neill

Made by Philip McDonald (Such a Stupid Way to Die) for the National Water and Soil Conservation Authority, this film explores the impact of people on New Zealand’s water cycle. Prescient shots of irrigation, industrial waste and run-off from dairy farming show Godzone’s 1972 waterways to be far short of 100% pure — the closing national anthem played over polluted rivers underlines the point. A mid-20s Sam Neill (then working at the National Film Unit) cameos as an eau-so-suave drinker in a scene showing the disconnection between water use and where it comes from (16:27).