Bahá'í New Zealand: Profiles of Bahá'ís

KEN ZEMKE is the producer of “Bahá’í on Air” programmes that screen on Auckland’s Triangle Television and other community stations in New Zealand and overseas. Ken produces these programmes from a studio in his home.

In 1981, Ken and his wife, Mary, and their three children, left their home in Hollywood and came to New Zealand to live.

Ken and Mary had accepted the Bahá’í Faith in 1972. At that time, Ken was a Hollywood film editor, with an excellent grounding in his craft, that enabled him to earn his living on a freelance basis.

“I started out on comedy TV series like Hogan’s Heroes, then got into television drama editing and one-off movies for television. Two Emmy award nominations came my way for best editing and, in 1974, I received an Emmy Award for an episode in the series Medical Story.

“I had learned editing in 1963 at CBS television in Hollywood, making 30-second promo clips for upcoming programmes. In those days, they were made by physically splicing picture and sound film together,” Ken said.

The couple came to New Zealand looking for a simpler way of life in a country where Ken could continue his film-making career.

“When we arrived in New Zealand in 1981, it was good timing because the government had just given tax incentives for investing in filmmaking. For the first time, I was able to edit other types of movies, such as documentaries and feature films. For editing a well known New Zealand feature film, ‘Came a Hot Friday’, I was awarded the New Zealand film and television GOFTA award for best editing.”

Many other projects followed, one of the more memorable ones being a five-part Television New Zealand documentary series on Pacific cultures, “Tagata Tagata”.

“In the meantime, I worked on my dream of making Bahá’í films. One of these was a documentary on well-known New Zealand printmaker and painter, Robin White, who was living in Kiribati. In 1994, I lived with her and her family for two weeks, with a crew of two. She not only learned the language, she danced the dances, sat on the ground and dressed in their clothes, basically living as a Gilbertese while continuing with her art.”

Ken says: “When making documentaries, I do not write scripts before shooting. I record the event or place then do interviews. The narration is written after the editing is roughed out and, as much as possible, the story is told by the interviews. My projects are always about people. If I cover an event, I present it through the people we see on camera.

“For example, my approach on a programme about the opening of the Terraces on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel was from the perspective of the people who were there.”

On his retirement, Ken began to work full-time on creating the “Bahá’í on Air” programmes. About these shows, Ken says:

“There is a lot of diversity in the programmes. One week it may be a documentary on the life and music of a renowned jazz singer who is a Bahá’í. The next week, it might feature a panel discussion on the need for interfaith dialogue.

“We often air interviews with Bahá’ís of different backgrounds and nationalities. Sometimes it is about youth service projects. It may be a doctor talking about substance abuse; or an American Indian hoop dancer visiting New Zealand. For some shows, I use material produced by Bahá’ís in other countries, adding a local feel at the beginning and ending of the show. We have also made programmes about Bahá’u’lláh and the Báb and the history of the Bahá’í Faith. We use a wide range of presenters, representing many different cultures, so the shows reflect the unity in diversity of the Bahá’í Faith.

“I’m retired, but I work much more and harder with my craft now than when I was paid for it. What a blessing it is to use my years of experience on producing material that is close to my heart. I believe that by making TV programmes reflecting Bahá’í culture and values, I can in a small way help elevate humankind,” says Ken.