BY HAND (2026)

BY HAND is a contemplative short documentary about craft, collaboration, and legacy.

It follows the quiet dignity of making things slowly and the deep emotional bond between two people who have built a life and a body of work together.

Through the parallel narrative of creating a wooden wagon wheel, we are taken into the world of Ali and Greg Lang, the last wheelwright and coach painter in Aotearoa New Zealand. We observe their hands-on process, instinctive ways of working together, and extraordinary skill as they prepare to establish an international Wheelwright Hub in the heart of the rural village of Gladstone.

In a world that moves quickly, BY HAND pauses to honour time, process, and the human connection at the heart of making things by hand.

Featured on RNZ

The Love Story Behind New Zealand’s Only Wheelwagon Makers
A feature on Ali and Greg Lang’s craft and screen legacy.
Read on RNZ

Wairarapa Couple Preserving Wheelwright Heritage
Morning Report interview (12 May 2026) with Greg Lang.
Listen on RNZ

Credits

Producer, Director & Writer — Jane Ross
Editor — Cameron Madams
Cinematography — Adam Joseph Browne & Derrick Sims
Sound Recording — Zara Millikin
Composer & Music Editor — William Philipson
Guitar Performance — Luca Gray