Illuminate: The Anzacs

Overview

2015 marks the 100 year anniversary of the Gallipoli landing, where 2779 New Zealand soldiers lost their lives, about a fifth of all those who stormed the beaches. To salute the fallen this Anzac Day, the Auckland Museum will use their iconic building in the Auckland Domain as a canvas to screen a special programme of events as part of the Illuminate series.

Over four nights, a film taken from TVNZ’s new First World War drama series, When We Go to War, will be projected onto the building’s Northern Façade. The historical saga tells the story of six young men and women on the eve of war who are full of plans and dreams for the future. The story is told through six one-hour episodes, each told through the experiences of a different character.

The projections will also include rarely seen photographs of New Zealanders at Gallipoli, from the Museum’s recently published book, The Anzacs: An inside view of New Zealanders at Gallipoli. The pictorial collection offers a glimpse into the lives of the soldiers who fought at Gallipoli, from the landings and digging in, to day-to-day survival.

On Anzac night at 6pm a pre-recorded screening of the Dawn Service from Gallipoli will be projected onto the building to round off the commemorations.