Apollo 11: NZIFF Review

Apollo 11: NZIFF Review

There's no way you don't know how this story goes.

And on the 50th anniversary of the lunar landing, with timing that can only be described as fortuitous in extremis, the film festival is playing the Apollo 11 doco on the day the moon landing happened.

The film is of the kind of calibre you'd expect from those like CNN who are involved, but director Todd Douglas Miller manages to create a kind of unfussy portrait of the hours of the build up to the launch and the days after.

It's intriguing in that, despite some over-produced moments of the bombast of a score intruding and trying to provoke drama, a film takes you directly back to the era, and the ordinary everyday "heroes" of NASA, who were not called Buzz or Neil.

Camera footage early on chooses to focus on the scale of the gantry by shooting from the ground up, sets the tone by focussing the cameras on those inside the control centre, and the gathered crowds who look like they're there to be part of a rock-n'roll event; it's here Miller pitches the actual event as something that everyone aspired to be part of, and which was monumental at the time, but has slowly been dwarfed by the extraordinary times we live in, and the naysayers who try to detract from its happening or its relevance.

CCTV footage, and footage shot within the craft, along with some Asteroids-level graphics build a portrait that's selective in the imagery it presents, but one which builds a tapestry of our greatest achievement.

Apollo 11 uses footage only of the moment, archives of the time and sights and sounds to create something that is never heart-stopping but is always awe-inducing. It's a time capsule, definitely, but it's a film of its time, and also one that showcases the fearlessness of man's occasionally indomitable spirit.

NZIFF 2019 Q&A - Harvey Hayes director of Biggie & Shrimp – part of Short Connections

NZIFF 2019 Q&A - Harvey Hayes director of Biggie & Shrimp – part of Short Connections

My film is…. 

Biggie & Shrimp - a coming-of-age short film set on an Auckland housing estate tackling the issues of toxic masculinity and self-identity. 

The moment I'm most proud of is….

Deciding I’d fund it myself and get it made. 

The reason I carried on with this film when it got tough is…

It had been burnt into my mind for almost 2 years and I needed to see it on screen, for my own sanity. 

The one moment that will resonate with an audience is…

Biggie revealing his inner turmoil. 

The hardest thing I had to cut from this film is....

Nothing major had to be cut from the film in the edit, it’s all as scripted. However, during filming our interiors I did have to make the decision to drop a scene, due to being behind schedule. Fortunately the film didn’t suffer from it.

The thing I want people to take from this film is ...

Finding and having the courage to be yourself is the key to it all.

The reason I love the NZIFF is…….

It showcases a wide variety of world-class international features and documentaries whilst also giving local filmmakers an opportunity to screen in front of the same audience. 

What I want to see at this year's NZIFF is……

Nightingale looks excellent, and Koyaanisqatsi on the big screen will be a sensory journey. 

The one thing I'd say to aspiring filmmakers is…..

If you’ve got an idea you believe in, as a filmmaker starting out, it really comes down to you and your determination to get it made. 

NZIFF 2019 Q&A - Lucas Hedges, director of Mope

NZIFF 2019 Q&A - Lucas Hedges, director of Mope

My film is.... 

MOPE

The moment I'm most proud of is.... 

I’m most proud of the “ball busting” scene, where one of the main characters, Eric Long, demonstrates the proper way to get kicked in the balls for his fetish porn. This is based on something I witnessed during my research and very accurately captures the bizarre, seedy experience. The scene is both disturbing and funny, leaving you with a sense of the dread. And I think it best represents the tone of the movie.    

The reason I carried on with this film when it got tough is.....   I felt (and feel) that unless I told this story, no one else would. “It’s too disturbing… it’s too disgusting… no one will care about two loser porn actors.” Those were definitely criticisms I heard at the script stage. But for me, it’s a tragic love story about two misguided friends desperate to find acceptance in a world full of racism, pain, and cruelty.

The one moment that will resonate with an audience is....... Hopefully the ending, in which the main characters get exactly what they want — but in the most terrible way possible. In America, we sell cheap, empty dreams. And they often come at a horrible price.  

The hardest thing I had to cut from this film is........  Due to timing and pacing, I had to cut a scene late in the movie where Eric Long confronts Steve Driver about not having an identity outside his porn persona and determining his self-worth by how many porn actresses he has sex with.

The thing I want people to take from this film is ......
Despite how bizarre and shocking the content is, it truly happened. I extensively researched the story and interviewed all the survivors. I owed it to them to create the most realistic portrayal of the story possible, regardless of how brutal and uncomfortable it gets. It’s a movie that explores mental illness and man’s inhumanity towards one another — and it will likely make you feel terrible by the end. It’s a look into darkness. 

The reason I love the NZIFF is.......  The programming is amazing and comprehensive and daring— certainly, I want to see EVERY movie screening at the festival.

What I want to see at this year's NZIFF is......
Deerskin, The Amazing Jonathan Documentary, Vivarium, You Don’t Nomi and, of most of all, Come To Daddy. I also HIGHLY recommend Knife + Heart. 

The one thing I'd say to aspiring filmmakers is.....
Find your voice and never deviate from it; it’s the only compass you have. Don’t let others tell you the kind of films to make. Don’t try to calculate things and outsmart the system, making films you think people will like. Be prepared for some people to hate your work.

NZIFF 2019 Q&A - Tony Sutorius, director of Helen Kelly - Together

NZIFF 2019 Q&A -  Tony Sutorius, director of  Helen Kelly - Together

My film is….
Helen Kelly - Together

The moment I'm most proud of is....

My craft goal as a filmmaker is to bring the film alive visually to the point where it starts speaking emotionally, without words, so that the whole audience are travelling a similar journey within themselves. That happens in several places in "Together" I hope... probably best I don't spoil it by saying exactly when!

The reason I carried on with this film when it got tough is.....

It's a big thing to seek the responsibility to be a part of someone's life for a long time, and to tell their story. I was very aware that many people would have loved the opportunity to have been with Helen at that time, even just to hang out. My rationale was, at least I'd be allowing others to share the experience by watching the film. With that cheque written there was no question of walking away, even when it got tough (and it certainly did).

The one moment that will resonate with an audience is.......

I hope there are many such moments. 

Helen was extraordinarily open to everyone around her, and very giving. My small test audiences have reacted very strongly to sharing her empathy with the many people she helped to find their strength. 

The hardest thing I had to cut from this film is........ 

Ha... again, there were many. Early cuts of the film went further in telling the background stories around Helen, which I'd dearly like audiences to know about, but it was simply too much weight for my central story to bear. Perhaps there are other films or extended special features waiting there ti be made later; we'll see!

The thing I want people to take from this film is ...... 

This film allows you to travel intimately alongside a really remarkable New Zealander, as she not just takes on some huge battles on behalf of others, but battles cancer herself.

In many ways Helen's positivity, bravery, outspokeness, indifference to whether her sense of justice was popular or not, her generous and loving friendship and her humour represent many attributes most New Zealanders would like to think we share.

I hope that watching someone who really does live this way invites us all to check in with the way our own lives truly express our values into the world.

The reason I love the NZIFF is.......

NZIFF is a critical, energetic pillar of the New Zealand film scene. They have provided a critical support to my career over the years, always reliably driven by none of the status symbol our industry is sometimes prone too; they just value good films, however they came into existence. 

What I want to see at this year's NZIFF is......

AUDIENCES! Get off Netflix for a couple of weeks and come see some great films the way they are best enjoyed... in an audience. This shared emotional journey is a whole other thing.

The one thing I'd say to aspiring filmmakers is.....

We're all aspiring filmmakers. Just focus on putting all you have into the film right in front of you, don't get too distracted by the meaninglessness of "being" a filmmaker. It's best treated as a verb, not a noun.

NZIFF 2019 Q&A - Shirley Horrocks, director of Peter Peryer: The Art of Seeing

NZIFF 2019 Q&A - Shirley Horrocks, director of Peter Peryer: The Art of Seeing

My film is.... 
Peter Peryer: The Art of Seeing (an in-depth profile of a great New Zealand artist).

The moment I'm most proud of is....
In a feature-length documentary there are many interesting moments, but one I remember vividly happened when we took the artist, Peter Peryer, back to the Hokianga, and we visited the pub where he had lived as a boy. Re-visiting the bar (where his Dad, a boxer, had sometimes had to spar with difficult customers) and his bedroom (where the wallpaper would shiver and rustle on windy nights) stimulated a lot of interesting anecdotes. Peter grew up as a very independent and original personality.

The reason I carried on with this film when it got tough is.....
Funding for feature-length documentaries is always a struggle, but there were so many people who knew and admired Peter Peryer’s work, who cheered me on. A number of them contributed to a Boosted (crowd-funding) campaign. I also received a modest but important grant from Creative NZ. So there was no doubt there was plenty of interest in this project. Also, though none of us anticipated it, I was documenting Peter just in time. He died from a sudden heart attack just a few days after I had completed the filming.

The one moment that will resonate with an audience is.......
Hopefully there will be many moments since Peter takes us through his life and his art in a very engaging way. But I expect there will be particular interest in the story of how he worked with his former wife Erika as a model. Both she and Peter talk eloquently in the film about how they created the dramatic series of Erika photos. There is also a great controversy that ensued when Peter’s photo of a dead cow at the side of a country road was part of an art exhibition in Germany. The New Zealand government tried to stop it because it they thought the Germans might imagine that our country had dead cow disease! The Germans laughed at the provincial behaviour of our government in attempting to censor art.

The hardest thing I had to cut from this film is........ 
It is a common failing of film-makers that they go on too long. I call it ‘the three ending problem’! Of course I had a lot more footage than I could use. But I’m very aware of the need to be selective, and Peter Peryer was the ultimate example of selectivity in terms of his own photos. He chose only a few of those he shot as ‘keepers.’ Similarly, I observed the traditional film-maker’s rule of ‘Kill your darlings!’ (or at least some of them).

The thing I want people to take from this film is .....
I hope that everyone who sees this film will be left in no doubt that Peter was not only one of our greatest photographers, but one of our greatest artists. I also believe that the film functions as a masterclass in photography. Troubled by today’s endless flood of digital photos, Peter was adamant that the key issues were always choice of image, framing, and a merciless avoidance of clichés.

The reason I love the NZIFF is.......
So many of today’s media products are very commercially-minded – they mildly entertain us but leave us with very little to think or talk about. In contrast I look forward to the Film Festival each year because it offers films that are thoughtful, original and surprising. A fortnight of films that are the real deal!

What I want to see at this year's NZIFF is......
I’m buying a lot of tickets, but above all I want to say: Don’t overlook the classics! The Lodger, Apocalypse Now, Andrei Rublev, and the Agnès Varda films are timeless examples of why film festivals exist.

The one thing I'd say to aspiring filmmakers is.....
I agree entirely with Peter Peryer when he said: Make sure you know the history of your art. And be ready for the long haul. The key question is whether you’ll still be seriously involved in your practice a decade from now (or in Peter’s case, nearly four decades).

NZIFF 2019 Q&A Vea Mafile’o Jeremiah Tauamiti - directors of For My Father's Kingdom

NZIFF 2019 Q&A Vea Mafile’o Jeremiah Tauamiti - directors of For My Father's Kingdom

My film is .... For My Father's Kingdom, It's a film about family, about hope, understanding, and ultimately about unconditional love. 

The moment I'm most proud of is....
When we took our film to Berlin and being able to present our film together as a family on the world stage. Being able to honour them for giving their all to the film because it's our story. Closely followed by getting the thumbs up from Her Royal Highness Princess Selikatapu at a preview screening we had with her.

The reason I carried on with this film when it got tough is.....
Family. There's nothing more important to me. And like my Mum always taught me, to always fight for what you believe in, and how Dad says, always go until the work is done.

The one moment that will resonate with an audience is.......
Probably the amount of food haha. But hopefully the moments of love, the moments of forgiveness. 

The hardest thing I had to cut from this film is........
Every family is complex, so not being able to include my half brothers and sisters story was the hardest thing to cut, because they're important to me as well and a big part of our family's lives. It was something that was covered at length during early development, but ultimately we decided we had to focus our story so that it was easier to get clarity on a lot of Dad's and our own issues.

The thing I want people to take from this film is ...... Healing. Communication, and hope.

The reason I love the NZIFF is.......
The variety of films on offer, in a nice and short timeframe. You know every film is going to be great viewing. 

What I want to see at this year's NZIFF is...... Bellbird, Herbs Songs of Freedom, The Farewell. 

The one thing I'd say to aspiring filmmakers is.....
Don't give up. Never give up, and stay true to yourself. 

Win a Disney's The Lion King prize pack

Win a Disney's The Lion King prize pack

Disney’s The Lion King, directed by Jon Favreau, journeys to the African savanna where a future king must overcome betrayal and tragedy to assume his rightful place on Pride Rock. 

To celebrate the release we have three prize packs to giveaway including 1x cap, 1 x notebook, 1x backpack, 1x drink bottle and 1x reusable cup. 

Disney’s The Lion King roars to life in NZ cinemas on July 17, 2019.