THE GROUND WE WON is Chris Pryor’s second feature documentary as director, cinematographer and editor. THE GROUND WE WON has screened to considerable critical acclaim at a growing list of international film festivals. The film also had a successful nationwide cinema release in New Zealand, garnering multiple five-star reviews and being hailed “an instant national classic” and “one of the most powerfully cinematic New Zealand movies ever”. 

The critically acclaimed theatrical documentary HOW FAR IS HEAVEN was Chris’s debut as a director. He was also the cinematographer & editor, for which he was awarded a New Zealand Film Award for Best Documentary Cinematography, as well as being nominated for Best Documentary Film, Director & Editor. The film had a successful nationwide cinema release in New Zealand, as well as international film festival screenings at NZIFF, Margaret Mead Film Festival and GZDOC, and was nominated for Best Documentary at the Asia Pacific Film Awards.

Before directing his own films, Chris contributed as cinematographer and co-editor to Florian Habicht’s features WOODENHEAD, KAIKOHE DEMOLITION & RUBBINGS FROM A LIVE MAN. Chris was also the DOP for Zia Mandviwalla’s short films CLEAN LINEN & AMARDI and a cinematographer for Alyx Duncan’s films THE RED HOUSE & THE TIDE KEEPER.
Chris originally trained as a stills photographer, and continues to pursue his love of photography through an ever growing range of personal projects.
For updated info & images, as well as a NYC blog, visit www.deerheart.co.nz