4 MOVIES
7h 7m
REBECCA TANSLEY
DIRECTED BY
Rebecca Tansley was running a Dunedin restaurant when she entered a scriptwriting contest. Tansley won a spot, and Māori Television drama The Waiting Game (2008) was filmed in the restaurant. A year later she made her first short, Eden. In 2015 she directed and produced music documentary Crossing Rachmaninoff, which featured at several international film festivals. In 2018 she turned her hand to dance, with behind the scenes doco The Heart Dances - the Journey of The Piano: the Ballet. Tansley has also captured an NZ Opera performance of Semele, handled publicity for NHNZ, and written a tie-in book for NHNZ series Big Pacific.
Crossing Rachmaninoff
'Crossing Rachmaninoff' follows aspiring piano soloist Flavio Villani as he prepares Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 for his first orchestral performance.
Released: 2015
Duration: 1h 19m
Director: Rebecca Tansley
Cast:
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2. The Heart Dances - The Journey Of The Piano: The Ballet
An iconic film is re-imagined by celebrated Czech dancers Jirí and Otto Bubenicek for the Royal New Zealand Ballet, setting the stage for a voyage into uncharted territory for everyone involved.
Released: 2018
Duration: 1h 38m
Director: Rebecca Tansley
Cast:
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3. Semele
This unique live staging of a baroque masterpiece showcases Handel's exquisitely lyrical music and presents a story of ambition that is as relevant today as it was when written three centuries ago.
Released: 2021
Duration: 2h 27m
Director: Rebecca Tansley
Cast: Emma Pearson, Amitai Pati, Sarah Castle
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4. Tenor: My Name Is Pati
This music-packed documentary tells the story of Pene Pati and his brother Amitai Pati, and their against-the-odds journey from Samoa to platinum-selling success in the trio Sol3 Mio and on to the world’s greatest opera stages.
Bursting with humour, heart and soaring performances, the film reveals the resilience born of adversity, the richness of family and culture, and the rewards that come from following an unlikely dream.
Released: March 5th 2026
Duration: 1h 43m
Director: Rebecca Tansley
Cast: Pene Pati, Amitai Pati
Where to Watch:
In Cinemas March 5th 2026
