About Zac

Zac Wichlei is a creative researcher and professional working at the intersection of film, anthropology, policy and digital systems.

Born in the U.S. and based in Aotearoa New Zealand, Zac draws on Polish, Czech, and Italian ancestry to explore themes of identity, heritage, and belonging across borders and generations.

Alongside Zac’s work in documentary and photography, Zac has supported IT infrastructure and digital operations for a Māori-owned organisation in Aotearoa, alongside founding and running a US-NZ-based digital media business.

From barbershops in London to mountain villages in Sakartvelo, Zac’s work honours memory, tradition, and human connection through a diasporic lens.

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DOCUMENTARY FILM

A poster image for the documentary short film "Carry On" by Zac Wichlei.

A poster image for the documentary short film "Sanctuary" involving Zac Wichlei.

A poster image for the documentary short film "Fresh Cutz" involving Zac Wichlei.

A poster image for the documentary short film "Ma Sei Nata in America" by Zac Wichlei.

photography

read field notes

Read the Blog

Observations from a life between cultures, continents, languages, and generations.

from

Zac

selected publications

"It raises a tough question: how far should a country’s responsibility to its diaspora go?"

"For example, a gesture of politeness in one cultural setting might be perceived as evasive or insincere in another."

"Change requires more than discursive transcendence—it demands transformation."

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About Zac

DOCUMENTARY FILM

photography

read field notes

Observations from a life between cultures, continents, languages, and generations.

from

Zac

selected publications

"It raises a tough question: how far should a country’s responsibility to its diaspora go?"

"It raises a tough question: how far should a country’s responsibility to its diaspora go?" "It raises a tough question: how far should a country’s responsibility to its diaspora go?"

"For example, a gesture of politeness in one cultural setting might be perceived as evasive or insincere in another."

"For example, a gesture of politeness in one cultural setting might be perceived as evasive or insincere in another." "For example, a gesture of politeness in one cultural setting might be perceived as evasive or insincere in another."

"Change requires more than discursive transcendence—it demands transformation."

"Change requires more than discursive transcendence—it demands transformation." "Change requires more than discursive transcendence—it demands transformation."

ZAC WICHLEI

"It raises a tough question: how far should a country’s responsibility to its diaspora go?"

"For example, a gesture of politeness in one cultural setting might be perceived as evasive or insincere in another."

"Change requires more than discursive transcendence—it demands transformation."