Under the Surface review: Heritage Houses or a Waste of Space?

Pōneke is full of abandoned, graffiti-ridden, derelict heritage buildings. I knew this going into Massey grad, Nate Oakley’s documentary premiere last month. But I didn’t imagine that I’d walk out feeling so passionate about the issue. 

20-minute documentary Under the Surface explores issues stemming from heritage buildings, its link to the housing crisis, and whether heritage has a place in modern Wellington society. 

Within the first five minutes of the film, I saw multiple shots of familiar-looking abandoned buildings that I walk past every day. From the abandoned boys' home on Tasman Street, to the Ghuznee building burnt down in flames next to Customs Cafe. 

Shots of buildings with beautiful facades and embellished designs–reminiscent of an era long past, decaying and rotting–are paired with conflicting opinions on the role of heritage buildings in Wellington. Familiar voices such as MP Tamatha Paul and councillor Geordie Rogers, champion the idea that, “our city is not a museum”, that we need to prioritise housing and affordability for Wellingtonians over the preservation of historical buildings. 

The opposing perspective argues that heritage buildings act as a tangible link to our past. That they create a sense of identity, belonging and pride in our communities. That’s one thing I love about Wellington, walking around and seeing a fusion of art-deco, vintage and modern buildings. 

A gritty, emotional and grave acoustic soundtrack along with cohesive shots and sequences make the film feel seamless. Although, as expected from a recent grad film, some shots of the buildings look shaky, taking away from the beauty of Wellington’s distinctive architecture. 

One of the important questions that comes into play is, whose heritage are we protecting? One of the interviewees, lawyer Laura Drew, asks, “Why preserve colonial heritage when people are homeless? And why not return those houses to mana whenua?” 

The winning aspect of this doco comes from the talent and voices chosen, Tamatha Paul and Laura Drew speak with such passion that it can be hard to sympathise with the perspective of pro-heritage buildings. 

The twenty minutes fly by the more that is revealed about Pōneke’s heritage buildings. My eyebrows raise at the surprising fact that an accessibility ramp was unable to be implemented in the train station since it was considered a heritage staircase. And that the Wellington Library was awarded the highest possible heritage protection for its significance to post-modern architecture despite being built only thirty years ago. 

This doco, which can be found on YouTube, is a must-watch for students feeling the full brunt of the housing crisis, to decide where we stand and what we demand.  

Is it important to preserve our history? Whose history? And is our past fit for our future?