Travels with Agatha Christie stars David Suchet, who became a household name playing the author’s most well-known detective, Hercule Poirot.
Suchet spent almost quarter of a century playing the Belgian sleuth known for his "little grey cells" and well-kept moustaches, over 13 seasons.
In the new documentary, Suchet follows in the footsteps of the crime writer’s round-the-world tour of the British Empire as part of the British Empire Exhibition Mission, including filming at Hokitika on a wet and wild day on August 23 last year.
The goal of the mission was to enlist those countries to participate in British Empire Exhibition to be held at Wembley in 1924.
Christie was driven from Picton through the Buller Gorge to Westport and spent a day on the Denniston Plateau inspecting the coalmine before the party headed to Reefton, Punakaiki and Greymouth and eventually arrived in Hokitika on July 14, 1924.
Coming into Hokitika, Christie caught a glimpse of Aoraki/Mt Cook and the Southern Alps, which she described as "really beautiful".
Not so impressive was the Hokitika beach, which was covered in litter deposited by the houses and shops that ran along Revell St.
She also struggled to fathom why all the buildings along the beachfront had their backs to the water and instead faced eastward.
The next day they were driven to Otira, where Christie and her husband, Archie, opted to walk the 18km over the pass instead of using the stagecoach provided.
With a reduced filming schedule, compounded by the weather conditions, the production company’s filming was limited to a day on the Arahura River with Te Rua Mason and a second day filming an interview with historian Paul Madgwick at the Okitiki Building (formerly Renton’s) in Hokitika.
Some outdoor filming was completed around town between rainstorms.
Mr Mason and Mr Madgwick were interviewed by Suchet.
A screening date for New Zealand is yet to be confirmed.
The British release date coincides with International Women’s Day.
Disclaimer: Paul Madgwick is the editor of the Greymouth Star.
— Greymouth Star
