"Forgotten Silver" is a 1995 mockumentary film directed by Peter Jackson and Costa Botes.
Here's the gist:
The Hoax: The film presents the fictional story of Colin McKenzie, a supposedly pioneering New Zealand filmmaker who invented many of the key advancements in cinema, including color film, sound film, and even the feature-length film.
Convincing Presentation: The film uses a serious, documentary-style format, featuring interviews with "experts" like Peter Jackson himself, Sam Neill, and Leonard Maltin. This lends credibility to the fabricated story.
Audience Reaction: When initially broadcast on New Zealand television, many viewers believed the film to be true. This caused a significant stir and sparked a heated debate about New Zealand's film history.
Revealing the Truth: It was later revealed that "Forgotten Silver" was a deliberate hoax, designed to satirize the way national myths and histories are often constructed and accepted.
In essence, "Forgotten Silver" is a humorous and insightful commentary on the nature of truth, history, and the power of storytelling.