The friendship of two celebrated Kiwi architects is uncovered in a new documentary.
'Maurice and I' looks at the partnership between Sir Miles Warren and Maurice Mahoney and how they refurbished the Christchurch Town Hill after the quakes.
Director Rick Harvie told Mike Hosking he always wanted to make a documentary about the Town Hall, but didn't think it would be a feature-length film.
He says they treated the building as a character, showcasing its creation to it almost losing its life.
Harvie says it was important for him to drill down into the details of the restoration, as it’s a Christchurch story, but also a big part of New Zealand's history.
The documentary's currently in cinemas.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
So Miles Warren Morris Marney would be two of the
country's most famous architects. They are in christ Church, involved
in some of the more famous buildings of the city, Modernism, brutalism,
I guess one of them, the town Hall, probably the
most famous of their works, revolutionized how you design performance spaces.
Got hit very hard by the earthquake and for a
time was actually going to be demolished. So we end
(00:21):
up with the documentary about Warren and Marny, their work
together and how it continues to be a bright point
for christ Church. It it's called Morris and I and
the producer and director is Rick Harvey, who is with
us wreck A very good morning to you.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Oh good morning, Mike, how are you very well?
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Indeed, it's already out and it seems to have been
a hit and people are full of joy and jouir
de b for it as far as I can tell.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
That's right. It's a bit of an emotional journey. There's
happiness and there's also you know a bit of a
bit of grief and sadness. But I mean it does
finish on a very very positive note. So but yeah,
it has had an amazing response throughout the country.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
How did you get onto it? I mean, are you
into architecture at all? Yourself?
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Are not? Really? Well, I'm I've always been into architecture.
But you know, the christ Chitch town Hall, you know,
being from christ Hitch like yourself, it's it's always been
a big part of my life. I was born in
nineteen seventy two, the same year that the town hall
was built or it opened, and yeah, I mean, it's
(01:25):
just it's always been quite quite special. And of course
I've always known about so Miles Warren and but yeah,
the story really is about the partnership. So you know,
the sort of the unsung hero, which is which is Morris.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
It's so true, isn't it? Because I was thinking, I
was thinking yesterday, as are some Miles, and then you think, oh,
what's old Marny's name? And that and that in itself
was part of it, wasn't it. And he was more
than happy not to be the star of the show.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
That's right. He's quite happy to stay in the background.
But as you see in the film, he's details man.
And I would often correct Miles, and you know, Miles
was quite happy to be corrected. So that's there. Was
a It was a perfect yin Yang kind of relationship.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
Tell me why. I did an interview a couple of
years back, the Brown v. Brown, Brown versus Brown and
if you've never seen it, watch that. That was about
a so you've seen that, right, Okay. The other one
I like is Lewis Kahan, who's internationally famous documentary was
done by his son and that and I thought, these
these things all seem to have family connections, and then
in yours banged as a family connection as well.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
That's right. Yeah, So that's kind of that's the next
part of the story of the genesis of its as
meeting Jane and I met her when she was working
at the at Sarah the Earth Great Recovery Authority, and
and I sort of got talking to her and siden
mentioned that it would always be great to make a
document mentory about the town Hall, but not known really
(02:58):
that it was you know, and be a feature length
film and that it would have But I knew the
story of the town Hall and that you know, we
sort of treated it as a character really and that
it has a journey, you know, from conception through to
you know, being born and then you know nearly losing
its life if you like. But yeah, Jane was yeah,
(03:23):
so and she has a fella and she has a
background and production as well, so yeah, we got talking
and then she came to me when Morris was diagnosed
with pancreatic cancer in twenty eighteen and said, if you
want to make this documentary about Miles and Morris, then
(03:44):
you better get onto it. So yeah, that's yeah we did. Yeah,
that's when we got the first interview with with Morris
and yeah, and then after that the two of them together.
So yeah, and that comes the basis of our film.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
What do you reckon? The answer to this is I
was watching it yesterday and I actually became quite emotional
about it because and I couldn't work out whether I
became emotional about it because it's a beautiful building that
almost got destroyed but has been saved, So there's just
that in itself. Or I'm from christ Church. I've been
to it a million times, therefore everywhere it's a christ
(04:16):
Church thing.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
In other words, well it is, it's it's kind of yeah.
I mean I wonder whether it's because it's such a
specific thing when you're making a film that the idea
of specificity is is really you've got to drill down
into the details and the location, and that's that's kind
(04:39):
of what makes it appealing. But it is it is
a it is a christ Church story, but it's also
kind of an important New Zealand story. It's a it's
part of New Zealand's history, I suppose, and a lot
of people watch the film and kind of go I
just didn't realize that. And also I didn't realize what
you guys went through in Christch at the time earthquake
(05:00):
and and afterwards, and you know, we're all so busy
trying to get our lives back on track and you know,
save our businesses and you know, deal with things that
didn't actually know what was going on. Hall.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
No, there's an interesting story to that. Well, one thing
important I think to point out, Rick, will you answer
me this question first? Is it the interior that's as
remarkable as the exterior or the exterior beats the interior
or is it both?
Speaker 2 (05:30):
I would say it's it's the questions. Town Hall is
one of those places that well it's it's it's inside
out really, So the whole brutalist ethos, if you like,
as is that the form follows the function. So you build,
you build the you know, you design the concert hall,
(05:51):
and if it happens to need concrete walls and you
and it looks quite brutalist on the outside, so bare,
and that's that's I guess that's why a little bit traversial.
At the time. I think Miles was saying that, you
know people that said that the maximum security prison was
being built in the in the center of christ Church.
But yeah, so that's right. It's but you know, it's
(06:13):
gray and quite sort of you know, dure on the outside,
but when you come inside it's you know, much reds
And yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
How did they I don't know if you delved into
this part of it. But the reason I raised Lewis
Khan was because his big thing was he just did concepts,
and so when he tended, he said, there's my concept,
but often his concept was about one hundred times more
than the budget. How did they how did warrant and
money be How were they able to do what they did,
not just with the town hall, but generally within presumably
(06:44):
the budgets of the time.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
I think they they used the materials that were available
to them at the time. And if that was you know,
concrete block, then so be it. So you know, they
the sort of the bold ideas that were often sketched
and watercolored by by Miles and you know, and the
(07:07):
documentary he says that he you know, Morris says that
he could dream up an idea overnight. So he has
the idea. But but yeah, I think being quite realistic
as well and running a business, you've got to Yeah,
you've got to you've got to sit to a budget.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
Now you've got to make it up. I know Jerry
Brownley's in there because he had an instrumental role in
post quite christ Church. And your message there about fast
tracking is interesting because broadly speaking, and I mean, it's
lucky you didn't make a documentary about the cathedral because
it'll still be going. Obviously that's right, but but there
is something about the we've got to get on with
life versus doing it properly. So the message there about
(07:46):
fast tracking.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
Is what I suppose it's. I mean, we've we really
wanted to talk to to Jerry because I mean everyone
in the original sort of interviews, a lot of people
keep mentioning it, so we thought it was really important
for him to have a say, and he had a
lot of hard sitons to make at the time. So yeah,
(08:09):
I just wanted to ask him about that really and
you know what what what was going through his mind
and he says it, you know, there was the forefront
of his mind was you know, the safety of people's lives,
that the city was facing possible depopulation and you know,
so you know, I mean to you know, I don't
(08:32):
know if there's there's a message. I mean, you can
watch the film, make him make your own mind up,
but we definitely let him have his have a say.
And yeah, there's a nice little redemption moment at the end,
which I don't know if people need to see the film?
Speaker 1 (08:45):
Yeah, where where is it? I mean, how do you
get hold of it now? Because it's been in theaters
and where where do you get access to it?
Speaker 2 (08:52):
So well, it's a thing in thirty four cinemas around
the country at the moment. So and we're sort of
in the middle of our you know, it'll probably start
dropping off, but I don't know, You've got a few
listeners out there, so there now's the time. So that
is pretty much from Kerry Kerry to Beltkluther is what
(09:13):
we're what we're saying everywhere in between.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
Good on you, well, congratulations on I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Go well, and we'll talk again soon, hopefully. Rick Harvey,
who's producer director of Morris and I and my summation
from it is if you're from christ Church, will have
a connection to christ Church, very moving. If you've had
no particular connection to christ Church, still a great story
because Warren and Marney, in my humble opinion, little shorter geniuses.
(09:40):
So it's worth understanding who they are, where they come from.
And that's before you get to Morris's house in Governor's Bay,
which is and if you've never seen it, look it
up to die for. For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast,
listen live to news talks it'd be from six am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
So Miles Warren Morris Marney would be two of the
country's most famous architects. They are in christ Church, involved
in some of the more famous buildings of the city, Modernism, brutalism,
I guess one of them, the town Hall, probably the
most famous of their works, revolutionized how you design performance spaces.
Got hit very hard by the earthquake and for a
time was actually going to be demolished. So we end
(00:21):
up with the documentary about Warren and Marny, their work
together and how it continues to be a bright point
for christ Church. It it's called Morris and I and
the producer and director is Rick Harvey, who is with
us wreck A very good morning to you.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Oh good morning, Mike, how are you very well?
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Indeed, it's already out and it seems to have been
a hit and people are full of joy and jouir
de b for it as far as I can tell.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
That's right. It's a bit of an emotional journey. There's
happiness and there's also you know a bit of a
bit of grief and sadness. But I mean it does
finish on a very very positive note. So but yeah,
it has had an amazing response throughout the country.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
How did you get onto it? I mean, are you
into architecture at all? Yourself?
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Are not? Really? Well, I'm I've always been into architecture.
But you know, the christ Chitch town Hall, you know,
being from christ Hitch like yourself, it's it's always been
a big part of my life. I was born in
nineteen seventy two, the same year that the town hall
was built or it opened, and yeah, I mean, it's
(01:25):
just it's always been quite quite special. And of course
I've always known about so Miles Warren and but yeah,
the story really is about the partnership. So you know,
the sort of the unsung hero, which is which is Morris.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
It's so true, isn't it? Because I was thinking, I
was thinking yesterday, as are some Miles, and then you think, oh,
what's old Marny's name? And that and that in itself
was part of it, wasn't it. And he was more
than happy not to be the star of the show.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
That's right. He's quite happy to stay in the background.
But as you see in the film, he's details man.
And I would often correct Miles, and you know, Miles
was quite happy to be corrected. So that's there. Was
a It was a perfect yin Yang kind of relationship.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
Tell me why. I did an interview a couple of
years back, the Brown v. Brown, Brown versus Brown and
if you've never seen it, watch that. That was about
a so you've seen that, right, Okay. The other one
I like is Lewis Kahan, who's internationally famous documentary was
done by his son and that and I thought, these
these things all seem to have family connections, and then
in yours banged as a family connection as well.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
That's right. Yeah, So that's kind of that's the next
part of the story of the genesis of its as
meeting Jane and I met her when she was working
at the at Sarah the Earth Great Recovery Authority, and
and I sort of got talking to her and siden
mentioned that it would always be great to make a
document mentory about the town Hall, but not known really
(02:58):
that it was you know, and be a feature length
film and that it would have But I knew the
story of the town Hall and that you know, we
sort of treated it as a character really and that
it has a journey, you know, from conception through to
you know, being born and then you know nearly losing
its life if you like. But yeah, Jane was yeah,
(03:23):
so and she has a fella and she has a
background and production as well, so yeah, we got talking
and then she came to me when Morris was diagnosed
with pancreatic cancer in twenty eighteen and said, if you
want to make this documentary about Miles and Morris, then
(03:44):
you better get onto it. So yeah, that's yeah we did. Yeah,
that's when we got the first interview with with Morris
and yeah, and then after that the two of them together.
So yeah, and that comes the basis of our film.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
What do you reckon? The answer to this is I
was watching it yesterday and I actually became quite emotional
about it because and I couldn't work out whether I
became emotional about it because it's a beautiful building that
almost got destroyed but has been saved, So there's just
that in itself. Or I'm from christ Church. I've been
to it a million times, therefore everywhere it's a christ
(04:16):
Church thing.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
In other words, well it is, it's it's kind of yeah.
I mean I wonder whether it's because it's such a
specific thing when you're making a film that the idea
of specificity is is really you've got to drill down
into the details and the location, and that's that's kind
(04:39):
of what makes it appealing. But it is it is
a it is a christ Church story, but it's also
kind of an important New Zealand story. It's a it's
part of New Zealand's history, I suppose, and a lot
of people watch the film and kind of go I
just didn't realize that. And also I didn't realize what
you guys went through in Christch at the time earthquake
(05:00):
and and afterwards, and you know, we're all so busy
trying to get our lives back on track and you know,
save our businesses and you know, deal with things that
didn't actually know what was going on. Hall.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
No, there's an interesting story to that. Well, one thing
important I think to point out, Rick, will you answer
me this question first? Is it the interior that's as
remarkable as the exterior or the exterior beats the interior
or is it both?
Speaker 2 (05:30):
I would say it's it's the questions. Town Hall is
one of those places that well it's it's it's inside
out really, So the whole brutalist ethos, if you like,
as is that the form follows the function. So you build,
you build the you know, you design the concert hall,
(05:51):
and if it happens to need concrete walls and you
and it looks quite brutalist on the outside, so bare,
and that's that's I guess that's why a little bit traversial.
At the time. I think Miles was saying that, you
know people that said that the maximum security prison was
being built in the in the center of christ Church.
But yeah, so that's right. It's but you know, it's
(06:13):
gray and quite sort of you know, dure on the outside,
but when you come inside it's you know, much reds
And yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
How did they I don't know if you delved into
this part of it. But the reason I raised Lewis
Khan was because his big thing was he just did concepts,
and so when he tended, he said, there's my concept,
but often his concept was about one hundred times more
than the budget. How did they how did warrant and
money be How were they able to do what they did,
not just with the town hall, but generally within presumably
(06:44):
the budgets of the time.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
I think they they used the materials that were available
to them at the time. And if that was you know,
concrete block, then so be it. So you know, they
the sort of the bold ideas that were often sketched
and watercolored by by Miles and you know, and the
(07:07):
documentary he says that he you know, Morris says that
he could dream up an idea overnight. So he has
the idea. But but yeah, I think being quite realistic
as well and running a business, you've got to Yeah,
you've got to you've got to sit to a budget.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
Now you've got to make it up. I know Jerry
Brownley's in there because he had an instrumental role in
post quite christ Church. And your message there about fast
tracking is interesting because broadly speaking, and I mean, it's
lucky you didn't make a documentary about the cathedral because
it'll still be going. Obviously that's right, but but there
is something about the we've got to get on with
life versus doing it properly. So the message there about
(07:46):
fast tracking.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
Is what I suppose it's. I mean, we've we really
wanted to talk to to Jerry because I mean everyone
in the original sort of interviews, a lot of people
keep mentioning it, so we thought it was really important
for him to have a say, and he had a
lot of hard sitons to make at the time. So yeah,
(08:09):
I just wanted to ask him about that really and
you know what what what was going through his mind
and he says it, you know, there was the forefront
of his mind was you know, the safety of people's lives,
that the city was facing possible depopulation and you know,
so you know, I mean to you know, I don't
(08:32):
know if there's there's a message. I mean, you can
watch the film, make him make your own mind up,
but we definitely let him have his have a say.
And yeah, there's a nice little redemption moment at the end,
which I don't know if people need to see the film?
Speaker 1 (08:45):
Yeah, where where is it? I mean, how do you
get hold of it now? Because it's been in theaters
and where where do you get access to it?
Speaker 2 (08:52):
So well, it's a thing in thirty four cinemas around
the country at the moment. So and we're sort of
in the middle of our you know, it'll probably start
dropping off, but I don't know, You've got a few
listeners out there, so there now's the time. So that
is pretty much from Kerry Kerry to Beltkluther is what
(09:13):
we're what we're saying everywhere in between.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
Good on you, well, congratulations on I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Go well, and we'll talk again soon, hopefully. Rick Harvey,
who's producer director of Morris and I and my summation
from it is if you're from christ Church, will have
a connection to christ Church, very moving. If you've had
no particular connection to christ Church, still a great story
because Warren and Marney, in my humble opinion, little shorter geniuses.
(09:40):
So it's worth understanding who they are, where they come from.
And that's before you get to Morris's house in Governor's Bay,
which is and if you've never seen it, look it
up to die for. For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast,
listen live to news talks it'd be from six am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
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