1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:02,600 Speaker 1: So Miles Warren Morris Marney would be two of the 2 00:00:02,600 --> 00:00:05,240 Speaker 1: country's most famous architects. They are in christ Church, involved 3 00:00:05,240 --> 00:00:09,440 Speaker 1: in some of the more famous buildings of the city, Modernism, brutalism, 4 00:00:09,480 --> 00:00:12,080 Speaker 1: I guess one of them, the town Hall, probably the 5 00:00:12,080 --> 00:00:16,360 Speaker 1: most famous of their works, revolutionized how you design performance spaces. 6 00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:19,279 Speaker 1: Got hit very hard by the earthquake and for a 7 00:00:19,320 --> 00:00:21,159 Speaker 1: time was actually going to be demolished. So we end 8 00:00:21,239 --> 00:00:23,760 Speaker 1: up with the documentary about Warren and Marny, their work 9 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:26,240 Speaker 1: together and how it continues to be a bright point 10 00:00:26,280 --> 00:00:28,720 Speaker 1: for christ Church. It it's called Morris and I and 11 00:00:28,800 --> 00:00:31,000 Speaker 1: the producer and director is Rick Harvey, who is with 12 00:00:31,120 --> 00:00:32,479 Speaker 1: us wreck A very good morning to you. 13 00:00:33,760 --> 00:00:35,519 Speaker 2: Oh good morning, Mike, how are you very well? 14 00:00:35,520 --> 00:00:39,000 Speaker 1: Indeed, it's already out and it seems to have been 15 00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:41,800 Speaker 1: a hit and people are full of joy and jouir 16 00:00:41,880 --> 00:00:44,560 Speaker 1: de b for it as far as I can tell. 17 00:00:44,600 --> 00:00:49,040 Speaker 2: That's right. It's a bit of an emotional journey. There's 18 00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:51,519 Speaker 2: happiness and there's also you know a bit of a 19 00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:54,200 Speaker 2: bit of grief and sadness. But I mean it does 20 00:00:54,240 --> 00:00:57,240 Speaker 2: finish on a very very positive note. So but yeah, 21 00:00:57,320 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 2: it has had an amazing response throughout the country. 22 00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:02,600 Speaker 1: How did you get onto it? I mean, are you 23 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:04,000 Speaker 1: into architecture at all? Yourself? 24 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:08,360 Speaker 2: Are not? Really? Well, I'm I've always been into architecture. 25 00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:11,160 Speaker 2: But you know, the christ Chitch town Hall, you know, 26 00:01:11,240 --> 00:01:14,600 Speaker 2: being from christ Hitch like yourself, it's it's always been 27 00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:17,680 Speaker 2: a big part of my life. I was born in 28 00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:20,440 Speaker 2: nineteen seventy two, the same year that the town hall 29 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:25,520 Speaker 2: was built or it opened, and yeah, I mean, it's 30 00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:29,160 Speaker 2: just it's always been quite quite special. And of course 31 00:01:29,200 --> 00:01:34,600 Speaker 2: I've always known about so Miles Warren and but yeah, 32 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:37,880 Speaker 2: the story really is about the partnership. So you know, 33 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:40,639 Speaker 2: the sort of the unsung hero, which is which is Morris. 34 00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:43,200 Speaker 1: It's so true, isn't it? Because I was thinking, I 35 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:46,280 Speaker 1: was thinking yesterday, as are some Miles, and then you think, oh, 36 00:01:46,280 --> 00:01:48,840 Speaker 1: what's old Marny's name? And that and that in itself 37 00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:51,480 Speaker 1: was part of it, wasn't it. And he was more 38 00:01:51,520 --> 00:01:53,640 Speaker 1: than happy not to be the star of the show. 39 00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:56,680 Speaker 2: That's right. He's quite happy to stay in the background. 40 00:01:56,720 --> 00:02:00,800 Speaker 2: But as you see in the film, he's details man. 41 00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:05,800 Speaker 2: And I would often correct Miles, and you know, Miles 42 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:08,240 Speaker 2: was quite happy to be corrected. So that's there. Was 43 00:02:08,280 --> 00:02:12,000 Speaker 2: a It was a perfect yin Yang kind of relationship. 44 00:02:12,600 --> 00:02:14,760 Speaker 1: Tell me why. I did an interview a couple of 45 00:02:14,880 --> 00:02:17,280 Speaker 1: years back, the Brown v. Brown, Brown versus Brown and 46 00:02:17,440 --> 00:02:19,440 Speaker 1: if you've never seen it, watch that. That was about 47 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:22,240 Speaker 1: a so you've seen that, right, Okay. The other one 48 00:02:22,280 --> 00:02:26,360 Speaker 1: I like is Lewis Kahan, who's internationally famous documentary was 49 00:02:26,360 --> 00:02:29,480 Speaker 1: done by his son and that and I thought, these 50 00:02:29,680 --> 00:02:32,200 Speaker 1: these things all seem to have family connections, and then 51 00:02:32,240 --> 00:02:34,400 Speaker 1: in yours banged as a family connection as well. 52 00:02:35,120 --> 00:02:37,560 Speaker 2: That's right. Yeah, So that's kind of that's the next 53 00:02:37,560 --> 00:02:41,079 Speaker 2: part of the story of the genesis of its as 54 00:02:41,200 --> 00:02:44,160 Speaker 2: meeting Jane and I met her when she was working 55 00:02:44,160 --> 00:02:50,360 Speaker 2: at the at Sarah the Earth Great Recovery Authority, and 56 00:02:50,360 --> 00:02:52,560 Speaker 2: and I sort of got talking to her and siden 57 00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:54,880 Speaker 2: mentioned that it would always be great to make a 58 00:02:54,919 --> 00:02:58,919 Speaker 2: document mentory about the town Hall, but not known really 59 00:02:58,960 --> 00:03:00,919 Speaker 2: that it was you know, and be a feature length 60 00:03:00,960 --> 00:03:03,560 Speaker 2: film and that it would have But I knew the 61 00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:06,359 Speaker 2: story of the town Hall and that you know, we 62 00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:11,200 Speaker 2: sort of treated it as a character really and that 63 00:03:11,280 --> 00:03:14,520 Speaker 2: it has a journey, you know, from conception through to 64 00:03:14,919 --> 00:03:18,240 Speaker 2: you know, being born and then you know nearly losing 65 00:03:18,240 --> 00:03:23,440 Speaker 2: its life if you like. But yeah, Jane was yeah, 66 00:03:23,480 --> 00:03:25,800 Speaker 2: so and she has a fella and she has a 67 00:03:25,800 --> 00:03:29,359 Speaker 2: background and production as well, so yeah, we got talking 68 00:03:29,360 --> 00:03:34,040 Speaker 2: and then she came to me when Morris was diagnosed 69 00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:38,720 Speaker 2: with pancreatic cancer in twenty eighteen and said, if you 70 00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:43,200 Speaker 2: want to make this documentary about Miles and Morris, then 71 00:03:44,440 --> 00:03:48,360 Speaker 2: you better get onto it. So yeah, that's yeah we did. Yeah, 72 00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:51,600 Speaker 2: that's when we got the first interview with with Morris 73 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:54,400 Speaker 2: and yeah, and then after that the two of them together. 74 00:03:54,520 --> 00:03:56,640 Speaker 2: So yeah, and that comes the basis of our film. 75 00:03:56,800 --> 00:03:58,280 Speaker 1: What do you reckon? The answer to this is I 76 00:03:58,320 --> 00:04:01,200 Speaker 1: was watching it yesterday and I actually became quite emotional 77 00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:03,280 Speaker 1: about it because and I couldn't work out whether I 78 00:04:03,320 --> 00:04:06,440 Speaker 1: became emotional about it because it's a beautiful building that 79 00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:09,640 Speaker 1: almost got destroyed but has been saved, So there's just 80 00:04:09,720 --> 00:04:13,080 Speaker 1: that in itself. Or I'm from christ Church. I've been 81 00:04:13,120 --> 00:04:16,800 Speaker 1: to it a million times, therefore everywhere it's a christ 82 00:04:16,880 --> 00:04:17,240 Speaker 1: Church thing. 83 00:04:17,240 --> 00:04:22,520 Speaker 2: In other words, well it is, it's it's kind of yeah. 84 00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:27,159 Speaker 2: I mean I wonder whether it's because it's such a 85 00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:31,360 Speaker 2: specific thing when you're making a film that the idea 86 00:04:31,360 --> 00:04:35,160 Speaker 2: of specificity is is really you've got to drill down 87 00:04:35,200 --> 00:04:39,760 Speaker 2: into the details and the location, and that's that's kind 88 00:04:39,760 --> 00:04:42,719 Speaker 2: of what makes it appealing. But it is it is 89 00:04:42,760 --> 00:04:45,600 Speaker 2: a it is a christ Church story, but it's also 90 00:04:45,839 --> 00:04:48,600 Speaker 2: kind of an important New Zealand story. It's a it's 91 00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:53,240 Speaker 2: part of New Zealand's history, I suppose, and a lot 92 00:04:53,279 --> 00:04:55,560 Speaker 2: of people watch the film and kind of go I 93 00:04:55,640 --> 00:04:58,000 Speaker 2: just didn't realize that. And also I didn't realize what 94 00:04:58,040 --> 00:05:00,920 Speaker 2: you guys went through in Christch at the time earthquake 95 00:05:00,960 --> 00:05:04,520 Speaker 2: and and afterwards, and you know, we're all so busy 96 00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:07,320 Speaker 2: trying to get our lives back on track and you know, 97 00:05:07,400 --> 00:05:10,680 Speaker 2: save our businesses and you know, deal with things that 98 00:05:10,920 --> 00:05:13,680 Speaker 2: didn't actually know what was going on. Hall. 99 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:15,640 Speaker 1: No, there's an interesting story to that. Well, one thing 100 00:05:15,720 --> 00:05:18,720 Speaker 1: important I think to point out, Rick, will you answer 101 00:05:18,760 --> 00:05:23,479 Speaker 1: me this question first? Is it the interior that's as 102 00:05:23,520 --> 00:05:26,400 Speaker 1: remarkable as the exterior or the exterior beats the interior 103 00:05:26,520 --> 00:05:27,120 Speaker 1: or is it both? 104 00:05:30,279 --> 00:05:33,400 Speaker 2: I would say it's it's the questions. Town Hall is 105 00:05:33,440 --> 00:05:37,919 Speaker 2: one of those places that well it's it's it's inside 106 00:05:37,920 --> 00:05:43,039 Speaker 2: out really, So the whole brutalist ethos, if you like, 107 00:05:43,080 --> 00:05:47,479 Speaker 2: as is that the form follows the function. So you build, 108 00:05:47,680 --> 00:05:50,480 Speaker 2: you build the you know, you design the concert hall, 109 00:05:51,120 --> 00:05:54,640 Speaker 2: and if it happens to need concrete walls and you 110 00:05:54,920 --> 00:05:57,240 Speaker 2: and it looks quite brutalist on the outside, so bare, 111 00:05:57,240 --> 00:06:00,440 Speaker 2: and that's that's I guess that's why a little bit traversial. 112 00:06:00,480 --> 00:06:03,039 Speaker 2: At the time. I think Miles was saying that, you 113 00:06:03,080 --> 00:06:06,640 Speaker 2: know people that said that the maximum security prison was 114 00:06:06,680 --> 00:06:09,240 Speaker 2: being built in the in the center of christ Church. 115 00:06:09,279 --> 00:06:13,039 Speaker 2: But yeah, so that's right. It's but you know, it's 116 00:06:13,080 --> 00:06:16,960 Speaker 2: gray and quite sort of you know, dure on the outside, 117 00:06:16,960 --> 00:06:19,880 Speaker 2: but when you come inside it's you know, much reds 118 00:06:19,880 --> 00:06:21,600 Speaker 2: And yeah. 119 00:06:20,960 --> 00:06:22,560 Speaker 1: How did they I don't know if you delved into 120 00:06:22,600 --> 00:06:24,719 Speaker 1: this part of it. But the reason I raised Lewis 121 00:06:24,760 --> 00:06:29,159 Speaker 1: Khan was because his big thing was he just did concepts, 122 00:06:29,720 --> 00:06:32,280 Speaker 1: and so when he tended, he said, there's my concept, 123 00:06:32,320 --> 00:06:34,719 Speaker 1: but often his concept was about one hundred times more 124 00:06:34,760 --> 00:06:37,560 Speaker 1: than the budget. How did they how did warrant and 125 00:06:37,600 --> 00:06:40,719 Speaker 1: money be How were they able to do what they did, 126 00:06:40,800 --> 00:06:44,240 Speaker 1: not just with the town hall, but generally within presumably 127 00:06:44,320 --> 00:06:45,320 Speaker 1: the budgets of the time. 128 00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:50,680 Speaker 2: I think they they used the materials that were available 129 00:06:50,880 --> 00:06:55,080 Speaker 2: to them at the time. And if that was you know, 130 00:06:55,960 --> 00:06:59,720 Speaker 2: concrete block, then so be it. So you know, they 131 00:07:00,360 --> 00:07:03,400 Speaker 2: the sort of the bold ideas that were often sketched 132 00:07:03,440 --> 00:07:07,200 Speaker 2: and watercolored by by Miles and you know, and the 133 00:07:07,320 --> 00:07:09,680 Speaker 2: documentary he says that he you know, Morris says that 134 00:07:09,720 --> 00:07:13,280 Speaker 2: he could dream up an idea overnight. So he has 135 00:07:13,320 --> 00:07:17,120 Speaker 2: the idea. But but yeah, I think being quite realistic 136 00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:20,920 Speaker 2: as well and running a business, you've got to Yeah, 137 00:07:20,920 --> 00:07:22,679 Speaker 2: you've got to you've got to sit to a budget. 138 00:07:22,760 --> 00:07:24,840 Speaker 1: Now you've got to make it up. I know Jerry 139 00:07:24,880 --> 00:07:27,640 Speaker 1: Brownley's in there because he had an instrumental role in 140 00:07:27,680 --> 00:07:30,760 Speaker 1: post quite christ Church. And your message there about fast 141 00:07:30,800 --> 00:07:33,400 Speaker 1: tracking is interesting because broadly speaking, and I mean, it's 142 00:07:33,440 --> 00:07:35,560 Speaker 1: lucky you didn't make a documentary about the cathedral because 143 00:07:35,560 --> 00:07:39,600 Speaker 1: it'll still be going. Obviously that's right, but but there 144 00:07:39,680 --> 00:07:41,680 Speaker 1: is something about the we've got to get on with 145 00:07:41,840 --> 00:07:46,320 Speaker 1: life versus doing it properly. So the message there about 146 00:07:46,360 --> 00:07:47,440 Speaker 1: fast tracking. 147 00:07:47,160 --> 00:07:51,280 Speaker 2: Is what I suppose it's. I mean, we've we really 148 00:07:51,320 --> 00:07:55,080 Speaker 2: wanted to talk to to Jerry because I mean everyone 149 00:07:55,840 --> 00:07:58,640 Speaker 2: in the original sort of interviews, a lot of people 150 00:07:59,280 --> 00:08:02,120 Speaker 2: keep mentioning it, so we thought it was really important 151 00:08:02,240 --> 00:08:05,680 Speaker 2: for him to have a say, and he had a 152 00:08:05,680 --> 00:08:09,560 Speaker 2: lot of hard sitons to make at the time. So yeah, 153 00:08:09,560 --> 00:08:11,440 Speaker 2: I just wanted to ask him about that really and 154 00:08:11,960 --> 00:08:14,040 Speaker 2: you know what what what was going through his mind 155 00:08:14,080 --> 00:08:18,000 Speaker 2: and he says it, you know, there was the forefront 156 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:21,760 Speaker 2: of his mind was you know, the safety of people's lives, 157 00:08:22,480 --> 00:08:28,440 Speaker 2: that the city was facing possible depopulation and you know, 158 00:08:29,280 --> 00:08:32,640 Speaker 2: so you know, I mean to you know, I don't 159 00:08:32,640 --> 00:08:34,920 Speaker 2: know if there's there's a message. I mean, you can 160 00:08:34,960 --> 00:08:36,920 Speaker 2: watch the film, make him make your own mind up, 161 00:08:36,960 --> 00:08:40,000 Speaker 2: but we definitely let him have his have a say. 162 00:08:40,240 --> 00:08:43,320 Speaker 2: And yeah, there's a nice little redemption moment at the end, 163 00:08:43,400 --> 00:08:45,200 Speaker 2: which I don't know if people need to see the film? 164 00:08:45,960 --> 00:08:47,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, where where is it? I mean, how do you 165 00:08:47,840 --> 00:08:49,959 Speaker 1: get hold of it now? Because it's been in theaters 166 00:08:50,160 --> 00:08:52,080 Speaker 1: and where where do you get access to it? 167 00:08:52,800 --> 00:08:57,040 Speaker 2: So well, it's a thing in thirty four cinemas around 168 00:08:57,040 --> 00:08:59,320 Speaker 2: the country at the moment. So and we're sort of 169 00:08:59,320 --> 00:09:02,120 Speaker 2: in the middle of our you know, it'll probably start 170 00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:04,319 Speaker 2: dropping off, but I don't know, You've got a few 171 00:09:04,320 --> 00:09:09,760 Speaker 2: listeners out there, so there now's the time. So that 172 00:09:09,920 --> 00:09:13,679 Speaker 2: is pretty much from Kerry Kerry to Beltkluther is what 173 00:09:13,760 --> 00:09:16,040 Speaker 2: we're what we're saying everywhere in between. 174 00:09:16,200 --> 00:09:19,000 Speaker 1: Good on you, well, congratulations on I thoroughly enjoyed it. 175 00:09:19,120 --> 00:09:21,560 Speaker 1: Go well, and we'll talk again soon, hopefully. Rick Harvey, 176 00:09:21,600 --> 00:09:25,679 Speaker 1: who's producer director of Morris and I and my summation 177 00:09:25,920 --> 00:09:28,439 Speaker 1: from it is if you're from christ Church, will have 178 00:09:28,480 --> 00:09:31,640 Speaker 1: a connection to christ Church, very moving. If you've had 179 00:09:31,679 --> 00:09:35,480 Speaker 1: no particular connection to christ Church, still a great story 180 00:09:35,600 --> 00:09:40,040 Speaker 1: because Warren and Marney, in my humble opinion, little shorter geniuses. 181 00:09:40,120 --> 00:09:42,520 Speaker 1: So it's worth understanding who they are, where they come from. 182 00:09:42,559 --> 00:09:44,960 Speaker 1: And that's before you get to Morris's house in Governor's Bay, 183 00:09:45,520 --> 00:09:47,480 Speaker 1: which is and if you've never seen it, look it 184 00:09:47,600 --> 00:09:50,960 Speaker 1: up to die for. For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast, 185 00:09:51,200 --> 00:09:54,480 Speaker 1: listen live to news talks it'd be from six am weekdays, 186 00:09:54,760 --> 00:09:56,760 Speaker 1: or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio