Flight of the Albatross - 1996

Flight of the Albatross - 1996 Top Shelf/Fritz Wagner co-production - 89 min. UPC #9415394705263 Cast: Julia Brendler, Taungaroa Emile, Suzanne von Brosody, Diana Ngaromotu-Heka, Jack Thompson, Pete Smith. Screenplay: Riwia Brown, based upon the book by Deborah Savage; Director of Photography: Martin Gressmann; Editor: Mike Horton; Music: Jan Preston with orchestration by John Charles.; Producer: Udo Heiland, Rita Wagner, Susanne Wagner; Director: Werner Meyer. Sarah, a teenage German, travels to New Zealand to visit her ornithologist mother, working on Great Barrier Island. She meets Mako, an angry Maori recently released from prison, and they slowly become friends. Trouble begins when they visit a cursed mountain. Sarah falls down a mine shaft, but is rescued by Mako. Through the efforts of both, the curse is lifted. Great photography and music, but performances are a bit weak, however it is still worth a view. Censor Rating: G - Review rating: C

AVAILABILITY OF VHS OR DVD COPIES

No known source for new PAL or NTSC VHS copies.
An R0 PAL DVD release is available from New Zealand sources with a retail price of about $30nz. It is a rather bare bones issue, with one exception - it is the first feature film on dvd with separate spoken English and Maori language tracks. Unfortunately, there are no subtitles in either language. It is hoped that omission is corrected with any future re-issue. It is presented in its original 1.33:1 format with 2.0 dolby digital sound. The transfer is a definate improvement over the limited vhs offerings of the past.