NZIFF Q&A - Costa Botes

NZIFF Q&A - Costa Botes

My film is...
Angie. It’s the story of a woman who is trying to understand and heal from past traumas. The film is really about the consequences of love denied, thwarted, betrayed, or exploited; and the power of love to restore even the most broken of souls.

The moment I'm most proud of is....
Every moment when my camera was in the right place and turned on. One such moment comes very early on. A dove, trapped in a room, beats against a window trying to get out. A perfect metaphor for my subject. Any moment captured as it’s happening, without any warning or preparation, always feels special.

The reason I carried on with this film when it got tough is.....
I felt like there was something to say that was important and interesting.

The one moment that will resonate with an audience is.......
I think there will be several such moments, but I wouldn’t presume to tell anyone what they might be. We all bring our own emotional and intellectual baggage into the cinema. A film is only completed when it meets an audience, and every person will see a different film.

The hardest thing I had to cut from this film is........
Nothing. I’m pretty ruthless. Anything that’s not in the film was left out for a good reason.

The thing I want people to take from this film is ......
A sense of hope. And empathy for others.

The reason I love the NZIFF is.......
I’ve been to a lot of film festivals round the world. For lovers of film, ours is right up there amongst the very best. They’re also respectful and supportive of film-makers.

What the 50th NZIFF means to me is......
Five years making Angie weren’t wasted. I’m looking forward to sharing it.

NZIFF Q&A - Jack Nicol, She Shears

NZIFF Q&A - Jack Nicol, She Shears

My film is....
A film about female sheep shearers: In the gruelling world of competitive sheep shearing there is no women’s section. Women and men compete together. She Shears is the story of passion, purpose and determination and five women for whom shearing is not just a job.

The moment I'm most proud of is....
The crescendo of the film – it’s a real emotional roller coaster, with moments of sacrifice and loss, but balanced with triumph and celebration. I don’t want to ruin it for you, but you’re guaranteed to walk out with a smile on your face. It’s a crowd pleasing, life affirming film.

The reason I carried on with this film when it got tough is.....
I was surrounded by women who can shear over 500 sheep in a day – making a movie is a piece of cake compared to that! There were times when we were filming them and we’d stop for a break, and they’d keep working. It’s hard not be tenacious when you’re surround by inspiring, hard working people.

The one moment that will resonate with an audience is.......
There’s a beautiful little scene where Cath (one of the subjects in our movie) hand feeds some lambs whose mother has mastitis. It’s really heart warming and refreshing to show that rural people have a real affinity with their animals, and are animal lovers.

The hardest thing I had to cut from this film is........
There were so many great scenes! It’s tough cutting a film, you get so attached to things. There’s so many interesting, intelligent and articulate people in the shearing world, it’s so hard honing the film down just to the key characters.

The thing I want people to take from this film is ......
Be who you are. Do what you love. It’s a positive film that a kid could watch and feel good about, but it’s also a film you can take your Gran to. I hope people walk out enthusiastic and encouraged to pursue their dreams.

The reason I love the NZIFF is.......
It’s a festival that’s put together with love – the programmers genuinely love cinema, and you know if you’re seeing a film at the NZIFF it’s worth it. 

What the 50th NZIFF means to me is......

To be included in the line up this year is a huge honour and privilege. The NZIFF has shown so many great kiwi films and has been instrumental in developing so much of our local talent. It’s fantastic to be part of that legacy. Like I said before, the NZIFF programmers are top notch: all the films they choose are always worth the price of admission. So for She Shears to be chosen by them is really satisfying and humbling.

NZIFF Q&A - Rebecca Tansley

NZIFF Q&A - Rebecca Tansley

My film is… 
The story of a ballet inspired by the 1993 film The Piano, but it’s not just a dance film! A lot happened.

The moment I'm most proud of is…
When the film screens and audiences enjoy it, take something from it and talk about it.

The Heart Dances

The reason I carried on with this film when it got tough is… 
The same reason people do anything that’s hard – they are driven to do it. Some people climb mountains, some people paint. I get an idea to make a film and I have to see it through, even when you’re in the middle of wondering why you thought it was a good idea, you don’t stop. That’s how it is.

The one moment that will resonate with an audience is… 
Well hopefully there are more moments than one – but I think that the human relationships depicted in the ballet  (which of course originate in Jane Campion’s story) are very real, and very relatable. I defy anyone not to look at it and recognise moments from their own lives.

The hardest thing I had to cut from this film is........
One and a half minutes of a pas de deux set to a Shostakovich concerto. The music and the dancing are both so intensely beautiful but unfortunately film duration matters. Maybe it’ll make the dvd!

The thing I want people to take from this film is ...... 
That making art is hard, that art is worth having and celebrating, but should also challenge us and make us think and talk about stuff.

The reason I love the NZIFF is....... 
Affirmation, because my film screens alongside great and wonderful and vibrant films from all over the world. It means I’m one of that community of storytellers.

What the 50th NZIFF means to me is......
A celebration of the institution that for 50 years has brought us diverse stories and other ways of seeing the world. Here’s to the next 50 years!

Blockers: DVD Review

Blockers: DVD Review

The sex comedy cum coming of age is a well-mined story trope.

Guaranteed easy laughs, combined with some gross-out gags, mean simple box office returns and plenty of brain-on-cruise-control viewing.

So it is with Blockers, a film that promised little, but manages to deliver more than expected, despite a depressingly obvious slide into sentiment on the final run.

Cena, Mann and Barinholtz play a triumvirate of parents, with varying degrees of issues of control.

Thrust together when their three daughters start school and bond, the group's now at the cusp of dealing with womanhood from their siblings.

On Prom Night, all three of the girls (Viswanathan, Newton, Adlon, all solid and fully formed) decide they plan to lose their virginities to their respective partners. Forming an apparently secret pact, they set about their plans.

But when the parents find out, they decide to set out and stop it from happening...

The thing with Blockers is that its mix of being a take on uptight parents letting go, kids growing up and moments of gross oddly brings the funny when it should without ever really going too far.

As the aforementioned slide into sentimental growing and hugging mush descends (something Seinfeld always railed against), Blockers depresses a little in that it doesn't quite buck the trend in the way it initially sets out to do so.

Whether it's really a female take on the situation given it's written by five guys is debatable.

But what it does do throughout is it gives the female youngsters equal pegging and they feel real rather than sexual constructs and conquests. While their story pales as the parents' quest intensifies, the overwhelming take-out is that these kids are alright, and sensible in the face of parental paranoia.

Plus special commendation must be given to Leslie Mann's physical work towards end, which is nothing short of genius.

Cena's uptight jock father is solid, and Barinholtz's estranged dad, looking to reconnect, feels real and grounded during the awkward moments.

In fact, that's where Blockers succeeds, it feels more grounded than outlandish, more sensible than sensational - and as a result, whilst it's not riotous laugh a minute fare, it's infinitely more entertaining than its woefully worn out genre would lead you to believe it could - and should - be. 

NZIFF Q&A - Dog's Best Friend, Eryn Wilson

NZIFF Q&A - Dog's Best Friend, Eryn Wilson

My film is....
Dog’s Best Friend. It’s a documentary about one man, Jacob Leezak and his life’s work; to rehabilitate man’s best friend, one dog at a time. Whilst Jacob works with domestic pets with minor behaviour issues, he specialises in working with the powerful breeds that we often see in the media for all the wrong reasons.

The moment I'm most proud of is....
Getting into the NZIFF. To be recognized by a festival with the international appeal and profile the NZIFF has, it’s both a privilege and acknowledgement of what we’ve achieved with this indie film.

The reason I carried on with this film when it got tough is.....
I trained as an actor at Toi Whakaari. I come from a free-lance background. I’ve never had a 9 to 5 job. The down side is there’s nobody else there to fire you for not turning up to work. The upside though is that you develop a thick skin, a resourcefulness, a discipline and a self-belief that if you’re passionate enough about something and you’re prepared to stick with it, you can create your own opportunities and your own work. You don’t need anybody else.

The one moment that will resonate with an audience is.......
I won’t give that moment away. Safe to say that because my protagonist Jacob is so good at what he does, it would be easy for an audience to be lulled into the expectation that Jacob is in control of these dogs at all times and nothing unexpected ever happens in the film….. That’s all I’ll say…

The hardest thing I had to cut from this film is........
An old draft of the film had it opening with a scene of a dog being put to sleep. He’d been sentenced to death after biting someone and not being registered and his owner basically gave him up. A sad but typical story. Bad ownership of the first degree. I treated the scene delicately, knowing it would be controversial but I felt passionate that my audience needed to filter the rest of the film through that opening scene. Well. Festivals wouldn’t go near it with a barge pole. After being knocked back by several festivals I finally took out that scene and we got into the very next festival we entered. Safe to say, it’ll be left in the director’s cut.

The thing I want people to take from this film is ......
Dogs are like children. They are not born bad. They simply reflect the time and attention their owners choose to put into them. And it takes a very special person who’ll dedicate their lives to helping these damaged dogs. That person is Jacob Leezak.

The reason I love the NZIFF is.......
I’ve always loved the NZIFF. The wide range of films, the numerous venues, the buzz of the festival, especially at night. Buying a 10-trip ticket and dissapearing into the festival for a couple of weeks is invigorating, inspirational and opens the mind. It’s truly wonderful and a credit to Bill and the team.

What the 50th NZIFF means to me is......
Its testament to the quality, integrity and popularity of the NZIFF. And what better way to mark my feature film directorial debut than to be a part of the 50th anniversary. I’ll never forget it.

Doctor Who Series 11 trailer is here

Doctor Who Series 11 trailer is here

The BBC has confirmed the first look at the new series of Doctor Who, with an exclusive new trailer shown during the BBC coverage of the World Cup final. 

It comes as American magazine Entertainment Weekly brings us the first look at the new Doctor Who series starring Jodie Whittaker as the 13th incarnation of the Time Lord.

There are also exclusive first looks at the new TARDIS team, led by Jodie Whittaker too.

NZIFF Q&A - Merata Heperi Mita

NZIFF Q&A - Merata Heperi Mita

My film is....
A family story about a solo mother of 5 who struggled through social upheaval to pioneer a cinematic art form.

The moment I'm most proud of is....
Sharing the bittersweet nostalgia I feel when revisiting my family’s past.

The reason I carried on with this film when it got tough is.....
I felt a huge sense of responsibility to my family to portray their story with integrity, and because the story was too inspirational to give up on.

The one moment that will resonate with an audience is.......
My sister’s honesty around the sacrifice she and her family made as children while their mother documented some of the ugliest aspects of New Zealand’s society.

The hardest thing I had to cut from this film is........
One of my brothers passed away unexpectedly two weeks after I interviewed him, so cutting anything out from him was very hard for me as I felt that seeing him on screen was a way of being close to him again.

The thing I want people to take from this film is ......
Great people aren’t necessarily motivated by ambition or political ideals. Smaller, more intimate drives such as love of family, can be just as powerful.

The reason I love the NZIFF is.......
Over the years the festival has entertained me, educated me, horrified me, made me laugh, broken my heart, helped me escape, made me want to make a difference. It’s where I go to feel the full spectrum of the human experience.

What the 50th NZIFF means to me is......
The continuation of the annual ritual of trying to juggle life around obscure film showings during times where I probably should be taking care of more pressing responsibilities…  Long may it continue!