Origo: From Hollywood to the Kiwi Kitchen – The Unexpected Journey of a Word

It’s a small word, just five letters. But once you start listening for it, Origo pops up everywhere. This week came news that made the entire film industry sit up and take notice. Not in Hollywood, but in Budapest. That’s where Origo Studios, one of Europe’s largest film production facilities, has just brought a massive new investment online. We’re talking about a solar park spanning 44,000 square metres.

This isn’t your average solar farm. This is Hollywood’s green future, for real. The people working there know it’s a game-changer. For the first time, a studio of this size can power its productions largely on its own self-generated renewable energy. I’ve been chatting with folks in the industry who say this is going to be the model going forward. When the big players from California start crunching the numbers on their carbon footprint, suddenly shooting at a place like Origo becomes incredibly appealing. It’s not just about being kind to the environment; it’s about staying ahead of the curve.

From the silver screen to the dinner table

But for us here in New Zealand, what does Origo actually mean? For many of us, it’s first and foremost a design classic. I’m talking, of course, about the Iittala Origo orange plate 26 cm. That plate that’s been in every typical Kiwi home since the 90s. It was designed by Harri Koskinen, but its history goes back further. The designers behind the original series, which launched back in 1997, managed to create something truly unique. They captured a sense of movement and warmth right in the middle of Nordic minimalism. That clear orange colour, almost like a sunrise on a plate, has a way of making any meal look just that little bit more special.

I have my own theory that this plate is one of the few possessions that actually gets passed down. You bought it when you got your first proper kitchen, and now your kids are eating from the same plate. There’s something quite lovely about that, I reckon. It’s a different kind of origo – a sort of starting point for home.

The origin of language – where it all leads back to

Then there’s the literal meaning. The origin of language. The word Origo comes from Latin and means “source,” “beginning,” or “origin.” In mathematics, it’s the zero point in a coordinate system, where the x- and y-axes meet. Everything starts there. And when I think about it, maybe that’s why the word carries so much weight. Whether it’s a film empire building its future on solar power, or finding a sense of home in a design object, it’s about getting back to the core.

There’s another person who carried this name who also deserves a mention: Iris Origo. She was an Anglo-Irish writer and biographer who lived in Italy during the war. Her diaries from that time are some of the most raw depictions of everyday courage you’ll find. She wrote about finding humanity in the midst of chaos. Her life was also about finding the origin – of morality, of responsibility.

Three ways to see Origo right now

• The industrial: Origo Studios in Budapest shows that sustainability and blockbuster filmmaking go hand in hand. This is the new standard, and it’s already here.
• The everyday: The Iittala Origo orange plate 26 cm is more than just a plate. It’s a timeless symbol that great design lasts for generations.
• The philosophical: Whether we’re talking about language, maths or history, origo stands for the starting point. The only question is: what’s yours?

So next time you hear someone mention Origo, whether it’s in a news report about the latest star-studded film shot in Hungary, or when you’re setting the table for dinner on that classic plate, you’ll know it’s all about the same thing. It’s about the beginning. And sometimes, just like in Budapest, it’s about creating a whole new beginning.