Saturday saw me take my annual pilgrimage to the screening, in some cases first screenings, of the locally produced short film programme – and good time was had! The finishing of all these shorts was top notch as was the acting. What sets apart this year’s selection was the lack of absolute clunkers which has, in my opinion, tarnished the programme a little in the past. It seems as if our local industry is not only active and thriving, but also taking a step up in terms of new filmmakers as well as our more recognised feature directors.

This year saw the usual, broad, range of inventive concepts including: an enthralling dance narrative, a subversive political commentary, a period piece romance, a pastoral comedy, and two, more abstract, explorations of loss and consequences.

The Speaker
Tearepa Kahi/2005/14 min
ENGAGING recent political issues around indigenous resource rights and race relations in New Zealand is only one aspect of this well conceived short by first time director, Tearepa Kahi. Full of recognisable Auckland cityscapes these urban locales provide the outlet for the speaker’s message. Kahi clearly plays off the film’s title in that the eponymous lead does very little vocal musing himself. In fact, it is those with whom he interacts that do all the talking. However, once the spray-cans or marker pens are produced and paint/ink meets wall, window, or even plaster cast the clearest and most profound messages are proclaimed for all to ‘hear’. What struck me most about The Speaker was the dreamy poetic flow Kahi produces in the midst of what could otherwise have been a decidedly mainstream piece – though, admittedly, not by “mainstream New Zealand”. A top effort from a young director we are likely to see much more from.

Nature’s Way
Jane Shearer/2006/12 min
FAR AND AWAY the most beautifully shot piece in this selection, Nature’s Way combines an intriguing idea with the dense, moisture rich backdrop of New Zealand’s native forest. The incredibly rich and mournful visual aesthetic created by Shearer and her camera crew was the most talked about aspect of any of the evening’s films, post screening. A man perpetrates the unthinkable upon a young girl and leaves her body in the arms of the forest. He thinks he is off Scott free, but his numbed, track-suited existence is headed into the same gloom that he has forced on this innocent. Nature’s Way confronts the idea of guilt and unseen consequence which is made manifest in the life of an unconvicted child molester/murderer. There was almost a biblical reference in the piece as the very land “cries out” from the victim’s blood, and turns its wrath upon the perpetrator. The child and the forest merge with his buried sense of guilt, or lack thereof, and demands payment in full. One filmmaker I spoke to commented that he thought the short had set up for a longer story and didn’t have a sense of closure. To me it felt like the concept itself was a notch up from its outworking and the visuals another notch from that. Whatever the case, Nature’s Way is certainly and enjoyable and thoughtful watch.

We the Living
David Rittey/2006/13 min
HOW DO you respond to a tragedy that is at once close but completely removed from you? This is the scenario faced by a couple of teens at a summer campground. Rittey does a nice job of combing through a raft of feelings in this adolescent drama: loss, awkwardness, consolation and confusion to name a few. In We the Living the action serves more as a catalyst for the interplay of the two primary characters; how they bond through response to a disturbing event. Emily Barclay certainly does a good job of conveying those weighty and hesitant moods. The short felt expository – in a good way – and I believe, achieved what it set out to, if feeling a little too well packaged by the time the credits rolled.

Dead Letters
Paolo Rotondo/2006/14 min
THE FACT that someone could produce a convincing period short is something that impressed. It’s not like Rotondo had a great budget, or a wide pick of locales, but it just shows what a creative mind can actually achieve. Dead letters focuses on a girl who works in the postal service in NZ during WWII, getting letters out to the soldiers. She finds beauty in the courage and love of those who have sons, brothers, lovers in the war while at the same time she finds love herself closer to home. Maybe it’s the costuming and the set, but Dead Letters manages to create a warm and quirky romance while remaining low on the dairy component. Though not as dark or pointed as some of the other shorts in this selection I still found it a satisfying nugget to chew over.

Break
Shona McCullagh/2006/13 min
I’M NOT a big dance fan and I have struggled with some of the dance offerings in previous Homegrown selections but I was glad to have had the chance to experience Shona McCullagh’s Break. A man, a woman and their child dance their way through the joy, frustration and eventual disintegration of their relationship through a series of movements in differing settings. McCullagh does an excellent job of conveying her narrative of a degrading relationship. The emotions of joy, anger and confusion are unmistakeable, and frankly, some of the dancing is simply incredible to watch. Particularly the movement anchored around a dinner table. Damn! Still, it was a mixed bag for me. There were some sections that I just could not get excited about and some of the movement that I found kind of awkward and embarrassing to watch. My overall impression, though, was a good one – when this piece hits its stride, it is magical to behold.

Chop Off
Grant Lahood/2006/5 min
THERE’s always one quirky comedy to be had in the local shorts and Grant Lahood was the director to bring us one this year. They are often a little forced – an idea that sounded good on paper and only kind of made it on celluloid. Nothing like this from Mr Lahood though. Chop Off is a grandly realised concept without any unnecessary preamble to slow it down or get in the way. The Katikati locals gather for a bout of competitive wood chopping. Two fit, overly confident looking ‘young fullas’ set up whilst the third log remains unattended. When they are ready to go the distinctly old-school looking older competitor rolls up looking quietly confident and unperturbed by the dismissive laughs he gets from the other two. This was a well told joke, even if you could see the punch-line coming almost before the film started. The fact that all the players are actual competitive wood choppers gives this piece all the authenticity it needed and the audience was left laughing easily out loud as Chop Off reached its inevitable conclusion. I’m glad Grant got his chance to get this ‘annoying’ idea out of his head. Go A & P days ay!

—Jacob Powell