Ink and Gold: An Artist's Journey to Olympic Glory (2023)

The Oscar qualified documentary short film 'Ink and Gold: An Artist's Journey to Olympic Glory' follows the journey of New Zealand artist and athlete, Zakea Page, winning the Lausanne 2020 Youth Olympic Games medal design competition and fulfilling a lifelong dream to perform at the opening ceremonies. It has been an Official Selection at 57 film festivals since the start of 2023, receiving 55 awards including 32 Best Documentary Short Awards. The film was shot over the course of one week in Lausanne, Switzerland, at the 2020 Youth Olympic Games and weaved together with self-taped footage of Zakea's younger years as an athlete and artist. Accompanied with interviews of his family, 'Ink and Gold' highlights the connection between art and sport in bringing together peoples of diverse cultures and backgrounds to bridge barriers of language and foster connections, mutual understanding, and respect for one another. It also aims to dismantle the requirements of young people to choose between the two and to demonstrate that investing in both is culturally beneficial for New Zealand, the world of sport, and humanity. The story, artwork and design work in the film are a reflection of Mr. Page's non-traditional upbringing as the child of international teachers and the many different cultures and experiences he was exposed to in New Zealand, Kuwait, Viet Nam, England, Bangladesh and China. These experiences are the foundation for his medal design, entitled "Beauty in Diversity", to embody the Olympic celebration of respect, friendship and excellence, honoring every athlete's (and in this case, artist's) journey to the Games. A poetic and uplifting portrait of a young man looking for connection with humanity combining art and sport in expressive forms, Ink and Gold is filled with hope and the limitless possibility of tomorrow.