The historic heart of Ōamaru has stepped into the international spotlight, with stars of a major Netflix production praising the region’s heritage and deep cultural connections.
The seven-part Netflix adaptation of John Steinbeck’s 1952 novel, East of Eden, was filmed early last year in Ōamaru’s Historic Precinct, starring Florence Pugh and Christopher Abbott.
The precinct was highlighted in a promotional video released in May by the New Zealand Film Commission and Netflix, with a Waitaki District Council release yesterday saying the series had catapulted Ōamaru onto the worldwide stage.
The promotional video featured cast and crew praising Ōamaru’s heritage, culture, and respect for local iwi.
Florence Pugh, who starred as the villainous anti-hero Cathy Ames, called New Zealand a “perfect match” for the production.
“It really felt like a perfect match – it’s such a beautiful place, the people are amazing, the culture is amazing,” Pugh said.
She offered special praise for the country’s connection to its land and heritage, something she planned to carry with her.
“The respect to ancestry and the land is something that I just want to take forward into my life every day”.
Actor Mike Faist, who played Charles Trask, also featured in the video, saying the welcome the cast and crew received from local iwi during filming would remain a “treasured memory”.
“One of the greatest things we got to experience ... was a whakatau ceremony, where the rightful owners of the land – the Māori tribe – welcomed us to a ceremony.
“They blessed us and allowed us to use the land for the sake of what we were doing,” Faist said, describing it as “quite an emotional experience”.
The region’s historic landscape, maintained by the Ōamaru Whitestone Civic Trust, was praised by director Garth Davis for its almost-untouched preservation.
“It just has that epic scope, and it’s relatively untouched as well”.
Co-showrunner, writer, and executive producer Zoe Kazan, whose grandfather Elia Kazan directed the 1955 film adaptation, said she felt “very lucky” to have been able to film in Ōamaru.
The production wrapped filming in late January last year and showcased scenes of Ōamaru’s Harbour and Tyne St stripped of modern decor, with the historic Criterion Hotel serving as a key focal point throughout the series.
Adapted from the original novel and 1955 film, the story follows an 1800s parallel of the biblical Cain and Abel story, exploring decades of family conflict, morality, and individual choice.
The series hit Netflix on October 1, taking Netflix’s top series spot and amassing over 6 million views.
- LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ on Air
