The Pacific Film Unit was established in Wellington, New Zealand in 1948 by ex-National Film Unit staff Alun Falconer and Roger Mirams. At this time most films produced in New Zealand were documentaries made by the government’s National Film Unit. In 1950 John O'Shea joined; Falconer left to pursue a career in China; and the company changed its name to Pacific Film Productions Ltd.The first feature film was Broken Barrier (1952), which O'Shea produced and directed with Roger Mirams.