To mark the 40th anniversary of the New Zealand Film Commission, NZ On Screen brings us the stories behind some of our most notable local films.
Smash Palace tells the story of a former racing car driver (brilliantly played by the late Bruno Lawrence), running a wrecker's yard in theshadow of Mount Ruapehu, desperate to keep hold of his daughter in the wake of a failed marriage.
It drew plenty of international acclaim upon release, making The New York Times 10 best films of 1981, and earning rave reviews in Variety, The New Yorker and more.
The film was the second feature for director Roger Donaldson (after Sleeping Dogs), and spring-boarded his US career. Following its success, he spent a decade in Hollywood, his credits including Tom Cruise blockbuster Cocktail and Kevin Costner thriller No Way Out.
In 2005, he returned with another motor-fuelled smash, The World's Fastest Indian, and last year released a biopic about racing legend Bruce McLaren.
