The Art of Recovery

Peter Young’s documentary celebrates the passionate artists and entrepreneurs who battled to protect the creative heart of their city amongst the ruins of post-quake Christchurch.

After staid, conservative Christchurch was shaken to its foundations, a vibrant community-led revolution rose from the rubble and created a dynamic vison for a future dynamic new city. The organic growth of their initiatives and the support systems that grew around them have drawn international recognition.

Filmed over several years, Young juxtaposes the Government’s corporate driven, big business model for rebuilding the city with the creative energy and spirit of the Gap Filler project whose creative uses of empty space drew people back into the centre of the damaged city.

An essential and unique documentary about a city and a people brought to their knees and how they face the crucial crossroad they find themselves at as they look to the future.