Not Only Fred Dagg But Also John Clarke

AroView: John Clarke was the trailblazing Kiwi who created a national TV icon with Fred Dagg in the 1970’s before ‘buggering off’ to Australia where he built a very successful career as a writer and actor, notably with ‘Clarke & Dawe’ and ‘The Games’.

This documentary is a labour of great love by his daughter, Lorin Clarke, who goes to great lengths to do her father’s legacy justice with a breadth of interviews with mates and collaborators (incl. Sam Neill, Ginette McDonald, RNZ’s Simon Morris) and professional admirers like Oscar Keightley and Rhys Darby. Together with a suite of clips that feel comprehensive, it reveals quite a bit about both of our cultures through four decades, though we reckon an especially poignant nostalgia trip for those of us on this side of the Tasman.

“A fascinating celebration of a life fully lived by a person who enriched many other lives… Lorin Clarke’s film unfailingly reminds us of the joy we received in the company of her dad.” ~The Scoop