Napier’s New Zealand International Film Festival offers stunning line-up: Laura Vodanovich

The Ballad of Wallis Island is playing at the New Zealand International Film Festival at the MTG, Napier.

Opinion

Laura Vodanovich is MTG’s director

With the New Zealand International Film Festival starting on Thursday next week, August 28, I’ve been going through the programme trying to decide which movies to watch – the choice is stunning.

For me the opening night is a must see with all its intrigue. It Was Just An Accident, winner of the Palme d’Or and described as a “powerful moral thriller about the uncertainty of the truth and the choice between revenge and mercy” by Justin Chang of The New Yorker, looks sure to set the festival off on the right foot. I can’t wait to see how this narrative plays out.

I’ve made a list of some of my top picks so far. A second movie around the theme of revenge is also among my selection. Bring Them Down, described as a “chilling revenge thriller” by Next Best Picture, seems dark and full of twists and turns. Late Shift looks fascinating and fast-paced, with its glimpse inside an overburdened and under-resourced hospital ward. Perhaps this gives us a sense of what it’s like working inside our own thinly stretched medical system.

Grace: A Prayer for Peace is something I’m eagerly anticipating, not just exploring the life of renowned Aotearoa New Zealand artist Dame Robin White but also a film touching on contemporary world issues, with overtones of beauty and hope.

On the other side of the spectrum, The Ballad of Wallis Island looks like an easy, charming, quirky, funny film and made its way comfortably on to my list.

A movie that appears deceptively delightful and innocent from the trailer, The Teacher Who Promised the Sea, is bound in brutality and trauma – it’s one I definitely don’t want to miss. To round out my festival viewing, the closing film about the complex relationship between father and daughter, Sentimental Value, looks too good to miss.

There are many different ways you could approach making your selection. Some ideas that spring to mind are simply doing what I’ve done and seeing what takes your fancy, or you could make a random selection by closing your eyes and “sticking a pin in”. You could also theme your experience – music, Aotearoa New Zealand, thrillers, dramas and so on.

Alternatively, you could study the trailers provided with each film and make your choice from those.

One thing I like to do each year is let friends choose a film or two, and I go – whether it’s one that appeals beforehand or not. That way I always make sure I extend my boundaries and try something new. Over the years, based on friends’ selections, I’ve seen some truly spectacular films by doing this.

However you like to choose your films, the main thing is to make your selection and book your seats, as tickets are selling fast.

As I write this column, Prime Minister is almost sold out, with Anchor Me – The Don McGlashan Story, Not Only Fred Dagg and Grace: A Prayer for Peace hot on its heels.

Tickets for the New Zealand International Film Festival are now available for purchase online through the MTG website (mtghawkesbay.com) or at the museum counter.