A fun and heartwarming documentary about Upper Hutt’s very own “book doctor” is heading to the big screen in the U.S.! Bill Tito: The Unread Story, a short film by Indonesian filmmaker Dini Aristya, created as her final project at Victoria University of Wellington, has been selected to screen at the American Documentary and Animation Film Festival (AmDocs) in Palm Springs, California, on March 30.

Meet Bill Tito: The Book Doctor

Bill Tito isn’t your ordinary craftsman—he’s a book repair specialist who spends his days carefully restoring worn and damaged books, giving them a second chance at life. His striking roadside sign, proudly declaring him a “Book Repair Specialist,” caught Dini’s attention, inspiring her to capture his work on film.

Taking a Local Story Global

What started as a student project has now made its way onto an international stage. AmDocs, an Oscar-qualifying festival known for celebrating powerful storytelling, will showcase a little piece of Upper Hutt to the world—one carefully restored book at a time.

A “thank you” to Dini for sending this article to The Upper Hutt Connection.

13/02/25