Pioneering photographer's legacy celebrated 

All West Coast cinemas will be screening a documentary on Jos Divis from early May, recognising a pioneering New Zealand photographer.

Jos - The Forgotten Photographer who Saved a Town was filmed by Dave Kwant and Robyn Janes.

It remembers Divis, who lived in the now abandoned goldmining town of Waiuta, and who left a remarkable photographic legacy.

Having a resident photographer was unusual for a small remote town. Many of his negatives survive thanks to friends keeping them safe after his death.

Photographer Jos Divis featured in many of his own photos - taken in the mining towns on the West...
Photographer Jos Divis featured in many of his own photos - taken in the mining towns on the West Coast - at a time when such "selfies" were rare. PHOTO: JOS DIVIS

The documentary's publicists say that for nearly 100 years, the name 'Jos Divis' from Waiuta was missing from histories of New Zealand photography.

"Now a wrong is being righted with the new documentary."

A street photographer ahead of his time, Divis pioneered techniques to capture images of ordinary people and their working lives in a way no one else could.

Imprisoned for his beliefs, he lived his last years alone in the Waiuta ghost town he helped bring to life, his family believing him dead.

Jos is a journey of discovery following a historian, a photographer and a museum curator all working to give Divis the recognition he deserves.

It screens from May 4 with a run time of 46 minutes.

The remote historical mining town of Waiuta is these days one of the West Coast's best know ghost...
The remote historical mining town of Waiuta is these days one of the West Coast's best know ghost towns, but is being given a fresh breath of life thanks to a new documentary film. PHOTO: RHYVA VAN ONSELEN