NZIFF Q&A 2019 - David Nash - A Seat at the Table

NZIFF Q&A 2019 - David Nash - A Seat at the Table

Our film is.... A Seat at the Table

The moment I'm most proud of is....Finishing it. Although, I think it’ll be pretty special moment for Simon & I sharing it at The Civic with many friends and family that have been along for the journey since day one.

The reason I carried on with this film when it got tough is..... I don’t think I ever got to a point where I wanted to give up.  I produced this film with a talented good friend Simon Mark-Brown, which helps when you have some dark moments, the other person can take the lead and run with it for a while.  The one thing that drove me through the post-production (which was the most torturous) was thinking of all the people who had invested their time and energy in supporting this film, people giving up their busy days to be interviewed, hosting us – I would never be able to tell those people we gave up on this story.  There were plenty of tough times, wine helps!

The one moment that will resonate with an audience is....... For almost a year I tried to get an introduction to Domaine de la Romanée-Conti.  They’re the most famous winemakers on the planet, and as it turns out really hard to get a hold of.  By luck and a bit of gall I acquired their phone number when we were in Burgundy, France about 5min drive away.  Bertrand Remaut our DOP had the agility and speed to film that phone call from the back seat of the car.  It makes the final cut.

The hardest thing I had to cut from this film is........ People who had brilliant things to say.  There were quite a few producers who sadly didn’t make the final cut.  Not because they didn’t come across well on camera, the story just evolved and we simply couldn’t cover every question scripted.  

The thing I want people to take from this film is ...... That they’ve seen the definitive New Zealand wine story.  I think people who know nothing about wine will love this film as it’ll will give them an instant understanding of the world of wine and where NZ fits.  For people who love wine, it’s their favourite producers sharing some amazing stories with a view shown of the industry that we don’t see enough of.

The reason I love the NZIFF is....... It’s an incredible platform where first time filmmakers can share their films alongside some of the most exciting films direct from Cannes.  The team at the NZIFF are an incredible group of film lovers (could be a doco in itself) the compressed hard work, personal sacrifice and genuine love that they provide for filmmakers is the perfect rehab-facility for re-entering the world after making a feature length film.

What I want to see at this year's NZIFF is...... Amazing Grace, I love documentaries – that’s part of the reason why I made one, but more importantly I love that era of music.  Can’t wait.  

The one thing I'd say to aspiring filmmakers is..... Just keep going.  Even if it feels a bit rubbish, even if everyone you respect tells you it’s a bit shit – if you believe in what you are doing… just keep going.  You’ll learn more from finishing (even if you don’t want to show anyone) than from giving up.  And, most importantly, like all creative endeavours filmmaking has a really ‘messy middle’.  The start is fun, then it’s really hard – a bit of a drag and then suddenly you pop out the other end and it’s done, it’s great and you look like you knew what you were doing all along.  Just keep going.