University of Otago medical graduate and film-maker Dr Paul Trotman is "absolutely ecstatic" after receiving scores of positive emails and texts responding to his film on the university's body bequest programme.
After Donated to Science screened on TV3 on Wednesday night, large numbers of emails and other messages also poured into TV3 and the university.
"We've had a huge flood of positive comments," Dr Trotman said.
"I feel I've done what I set out to do."
He had wanted to make a "really nice film" about a difficult subject, that people would watch and be informed about.
Dr Trotman praised the positive role played by TV3 and said it had been a "long road" to bring the funding together to make the film.
More than 720,000 people watched the programme, which attracted the highest audience share among the five documentaries shown this year in TV3's Inside New Zealand series, television officials said.
The film explored the loves, hopes and fears of several donors to the university's body bequest programme, and frankly showed the challenges for medical students facing their first human dissection.
Sue Woodfield, head of factual production at TV3, said the popular response had been "totally overwhelming", with a host of telephone calls and emails received.
Some callers noted a member of their family had also donated their body to medical science and many had praised the respect and compassion shown by medical students.
Prof Helen Nicholson, an anatomist and dean of the university's Otago School of Medical Sciences, produced the documentary with Dr Trotman.
She was "delighted" to have also received a great deal of positive feedback.
The film was helping to raise awareness about the body bequest programme among potential donors and their families.
It was also intended that Otago medical students would view the film next year as part of their studies, associated with the start of their human dissection work, Prof Nicholson said.
