With abandonment comes a kind of anarchic freedom. While much of the grandeur of the former socialist meeting house at Buzludzha, Bulgaria has been lost to decay, theft, recycling and vandalism, the views from the top of the tower remain, magnificent. Shot and edited in 4K ultra high resolution by Gunner.
This chimney is part of a meat freezing works that operated between 1890 and 1987 on a site spanning 26 acres. It only operated independently for 6 years before being taken over by its major creditor, the National Mortgage and Agency Company of New Zealand. In 1940 it began its second half-century under the ownership of Manchester’s Co-operative Wholesale Society. With demolition well underway, one wonders if this chimney will be the last feature to be erased off the landscape. Shot and edited in 1080p full HD by Gunner.
It feels somewhat ironic that this industrial site is classed as a Category I Historic Place. What is being commemorated includes: the unregulated 1930’s; the polluting of a nearby stream and lake with the deliberate discharge of poisonous byproducts including phenols, ammonia and hydrocarbons; the amassing onsite of 15,000 cubic metres of waste liquid and sludge; and a massive cleanup operation in the early 1990’s which – without the dedication of many volunteers – would have cost $4-5 million if repeated today. Shot and edited in 1080p full HD by Gunner.
Standing at 95 metres (312 ft), this is the tallest viaduct in Australasia. It took seven years to construct from 1930 due to unanticipated delays caused by the 1929 stock market crash and the Depression, and the 1931 Hawkes Bay earthquake. Its first use was for road traffic after large-scale flooding in April 1938 partly washed away the road bridge, and then it was dedicated to its intended purpose for trains. Shot and edited in 1080p full HD by Gunner.
This War of the Worlds-esque tripod crane is the last remaining of its kind on the Wellington waterfront. There were once nine of these along Glasgow Wharf. Tripod cranes were in use throughout the world until outmoded by the introduction of container shipping in the 1960’s. Shot and edited in 1080p full HD by Gunner.
This viaduct was built at the very end of the 19th century, overcoming a major valley obstacle in the construction of a national rail line in New Zealand. It is over 200 metres long and at over 70 metres high it was in its time the highest viaduct in the country. The construction took six years due to adverse weather and soil conditions, and a lengthy stoppage in steel production in the UK. Shot and edited in 1080p full HD by Gunner.
Gunner writes: So I’ve been thinking about time. In less than nine and a half hours NZ will herald in a new year. Time is important. That’s why I spend so much of it making films of experiences I wish to remember. That’s also why I edit them so carefully: so as to not waste my viewers’ precious time. And finally, friends, that’s why I appreciate each and every one of you who invests a little of your time into watching the films that I make, and encouraging me to make more, to live more. Ngā mihi o te Kirihimete me te Tau Hou. Kia kaha e arohanui, from Aoteraroa, New Zealand. G x
Shot and edited in 1080p full HD by Gunner.
