July - the heart of winter and the perfect time to get serious about watching some quality television. By now French espionage thriller The Bureau, and European crime thriller The Last Panthers should be appointment viewing. Both television series have been making waves in Europe, and are highly addictive. On Wednesday evenings throughout July, Karyn Hay introduces a series of New Zealand documentaries. It’s great to see our stories, and the legendary broadcaster and award-winning author back on screen. The series kicks off this week with Ever the Land.

 Ever the Land  Premieres Wednesday 6^th July, 8.30pm

This transfixing documentary follows the creation of New Zealand’s first ever sustainable ‘living building’ Te Uru Taumatua. The building was commissioned by Ngāi Tūhoe and is built entirely out of materials sourced from the Tūhoe land. The documentary, directed by German born editor Sarah Grohnert, began as a film about architecture, but develops into so much more. An extraordinary piece of work that takes you in to the heart of day to day life in the forest region of Te Urewera, Ever the Land documents Ngāi Tūhoe negotiations with the New Zealand government to resolve their long standing grievances, and gives revealing insight into their culture and deep connection to the land. This is a compelling, moving and optimistic portrayal of a tribe looking to its future, without losing sight of its past. It really is a must see. 

Madame Bovary  Premieres Saturday 9^th July, 8.30pm

I’m sure there’s a University course somewhere in the world that studies the on screen adaptations of Gustave Flaubert's novel Madame Bovary. It was only a month or two ago Rialto Channel played a modern take on the film - Gemma Bovery. Those who prefer a more faithful approach might like to try director Sophie Barthes’ version of events – if only to compare it to the many others on offer. Sophie Barthes likes literary connections, her first film Cold Souls tells the story of an actor (played by Paul Giamatti) who feels bogged down by his participation in a production of Chekov's play, Vanya. Giamatti turns up in Madame Bovary – albeit briefly, adding to the diverse accents on offer in this period piece set in Normandy, France. Mia Wasikowska takes on the role of Madame Bovary, a young woman who finds married life to a small rural village doctor stifling, and pursues her dreams of passion and excitement outside of her marriage. It’s a pleasant enough rendition, with some interesting casting and timeless themes, but is let down by its simplicity, and suddenness by which the main character goes from good wife to ambitious adulterer. 

 Going Clear: Scientology and The Prison of Belief  Premieres Thursday 7^th July, 8.30pm

There are two reasons you should watch this documentary examining Scientology, the religion invented by the science fiction writer L Ron Hubbard, 50 years ago. Firstly, it’s the work of one of the most relevant and prolific documentarians working today, Oscar award winning Alex Gibney (Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks), and secondly, it’s absolutely fascinating. We’ve all heard the wacky tales about Scientology, a religion that refrains from sharing with its congregation its origins or philosophy until they have moved through many different stages of enlightenment, which takes years and thousands of dollars.

The religion (or cult as it is often referred to in the film) draws people in with the promise of making their lives better through sessions of therapeutic interviews, or auditing. Auditing involves being rigged up to a heart-monitor-type machine (one third of a lie detector test), which theoretically detects thought waves caused by painful memories from current and past lives. The more sessions you have, the more you move up the ‘bridge’ to enlightenment cleansing your body's earthly pain. Next time a scientologist tells you they are ‘clear’, pat them on the back. It’s a big thing.

This however, is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the incredibly secretive and litigious group. Things only get more wacky and worrisome from here on in. Scientology is a religion that requires it’s members to buy their way to happiness, work for free to run the organization, encourages them to cut ties with non-scientologists, endure physical abuse from its leaders, and believe in a nonsensical philosophy that involves prison planets and Xenu the galactic overlord.

Gibney’s documentary, based on the book by former Scientologist Larry Wright called Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood and the Prison of Belief, looks at what makes seeming rational, intelligent people get involved with this controversial religion. The film follows a group of well-known former Scientologists such as film director Paul Haggis (who wrote and produced Million Dollar Baby and directed Crash) and actor Jason Beghe. Gibney also talks to a group of former senior members of the leadership group, and ordinary people as they explain how they came to be part of this religion, and the moment they realised how incredibly dangerous and harmful it is.

It makes for very compelling viewing and it’s easy to see why the church tried to stop the film been screened in various countries around the world. Basically, if you’re at all curious as to what goes on within the church, and in its basement, you don’t want to miss this revealing documentary.