This documentary portrait of a great experimental artist is essential viewing for anyone with even a passing interest in New Zealand art and music. Sonics from Scratch tracks Philip Dadson’s life and art—from his Napier childhood to his involvement with the Scratch Orchestra in London in the late 1960s to his acclaimed work with From Scratch in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, to his subsequent solo work—charting his love affair with sound. Featuring dynamic archival footage of From Scratch’s most iconic performances, it is a vivid portrait of creative ingenuity and a paean to the role of collectivism in realising great art.

Dir. Simon Ogston and Orlando Stewart (2015, 85min)