I'm David Farrier, a New Zealander who ended up accidentally marooned in America, and I want to grasp what makes this country tick.

Now I arrived in America last year to start work on a new documentary.

That job came and went, and it was time to head back home,

but I discovered I had a slight problem.

Good afternoon, everyone.

We are now a matter of hours away from an unprecedented lockdown of our country.

In order to combat an unprecedented virus that left unchecked would have an unacceptable toll on New Zealanders.

New Zealand had closed its borders to keep COVID out.

To get back home, I'd have to secure a place in a managed isolation facility.

And that wasn't easy. Every few weeks, there'd be a lottery.

Where a few thousand slots were made available to get back home.

The only trouble is about 30,000 other kiwis are trying to get those 2,000 spots.

In short, getting back to New Zealand is like the Hunger Games.

Welcome, welcome.

The time has come in the 74th annual Hunger Games.

I kept losing the battle, so I've decided to stay here to make it my home.

But that's my problem because this isn't my home.

I don't have a home.

I don't have a social security number.

I don't have a driver's license. I don't have a social security number I don't have a driver's license I don't understand how football works

This all needs to change I want to grasp what makes this country tick and what makes it so great and so terrible and so wonderful and

mostly so confusing. I have a million things to learn but I want to start out small.

...