Career
Born in Helensville, Narbey was educated at the Elam School of Fine Arts, specialising in sculpture. He lectured at the University of Canterbury in 1972, before joining the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation as a news cameraman. In the mid-1970s, he shot the Geoff Steven documentary Te Matakite o Aotearoa, about the 1975 Māori land march.
He co-wrote and directed two films, Illustrious Energy and The Footstep Manitoba, in 1987 and 1992 respectively.
In 1990, he shot the comedy-drama Ruby and Rata for Gaylene Preston. His recent work includes the 2000 romantic drama The Price of Milk, the 2002 drama Whale Rider, Number.
2 (2006), the 2007 vampire film Perfect Creature, 2008"s Dean Spanley and Rain of the Children, the 2009 Topp Twins documentary Untouchable Girls, the 2011 Samoan film The Orator, and the 2013 drama Giselle.