Ravin’ with the maven: a guide to the film festival

Nick Paris (right) has been archive maven at Alice in Videoland for around nine years. He’s just bursting with enthusiasm on the winter’s day we meet, fired up by the rich pickings on offer at the Telecom 31st International Film Festival. His role as publicist comes naturally, and he starts the interview at speed:

“It’s diverse, the breadth is very diverse more so than last year. There’s not any big hitters if you like, this year there’s some really under-the-radar, underground movies fly-on-the-wall accounts. Documentaries are a growth industry about a third of the films in the festival are docos because that’s where we’re getting stories. Every day stories from every day life.”

The smaller, independently-produced films are gaining more of a following, he says.
“Part of this is the banality of what’s coming out of Hollywood, The landscape is over-used when I say landscape I mean the linear way they make movies these days. They’re all factory produced, to a formula. Even the locations I’ve seen the locations people have become too familiar with it. The whole industry now is geared towards 12- to 20-year-olds, with a bit of disposable income. But I believe there’s a big future in boutique, art house documentaries.”

NZ documentaries revisited

Some of the tastiest docos are those that give us a look at the New Zealand of the 1970s, Nick says. There are three: This is New Zealand, C’mon to New Zealand and This is Expo.

“I saw that flamin’ film (This is New Zealand) at the Odeon. 100,000 people saw it in Christchurch phenomenal. Busloads of kids. I was at Burwood School I was eight or nine and it was hand on the heart material for a young kid. I thought ‘Jeez, this film’s got a bit of passion to it’. That Sibelius music … to this day I still identify that piece of music with that film.

“It’s great that we’ve got it in and the director’s coming down here to introduce it. We’re having a real push for it.”

The documentaries were originally something of a sales pitch for New Zealand as it entered international markets at the end of the sixties. The film was shot with three cameras to fit the super-widescreen format and has been restored by Archives New Zealand and Park Road Post. International Expos were the way that New Zealand took itself to the world, and this one screened at Expo 70 in Osaka.

“I had a laugh I had a look at some of the photos they sent me from the original production and the cameraman and director are all wearing shirts and ties, because they were from a Government department. They look kinda ridiculous, setting up a camera on a chilly day on top of Mt Victoria, in a suit and tie, and tweed coats…”

It’s the looking back at our own culture that gives the films their appeal, he says.
“These films may date but that’s half of the interest I think. Coming up 40 years ago we’re a different country. So what have we lost? You look at these 20-minute films and think ‘okay, I can identify with that’, ‘oh, we’ve lost that, but we gained something…’ but it will be interesting to see it again.”

Eagle vs Shark

Eagle vs Shark, Taika Waititi’s new film, featuring Loren Horsley and Jemaine Clement, is touted as an ‘endearing look at life on the geek side’ (Festival booklet, p 11). Shot around Wellington and Titahi Bay, with a soundtrack by The Pheonix Foundation, it’s a very Kiwi film.

“It’s a real pleasure to have his film in the festival,” Nick says.

“They say it’s a Kiwi Napoleon Dynamite I’ve yet to see the film but Taika is coming down to Christchurch, along with Loren, so it will be very interesting to see how that Wellington it’s all set in Wellington is going to fare down here.”

“(Eagle Vs Shark) is a risk. Napoleon Dynamite was an underground hit, promoted by MTV and it was huge. And over here it’s almost cult status.”

New Zealand films are represented across the spectrum of styles. “There’s a heap of short films, animated and digital works. (The festival’s) a perfect platform for film maker. These films run in 17 centres.”

Opening night

Opening night is perhaps the one subject that’s difficult to talk about for Nick he doesn’t want to give too much of the plot of the opening film away.
“A Mighty Heart is a film about a Wall Street journo who … runs into some trouble in Pakistan, and the film is about the events leading up to his trouble through the eyes of his wife. It’s a very subjective account, by a great British director Michael Winterbottom.”
Starring Angelina Jolie, the film is in English, French, Urdu and Arabic, with English subtitles. We quickly move on to other planned festivities:
“I want to lighten things up before they go into the film. It’s quite a serious film.”

Paul Ubana Jones will play in the foyer and a ‘Carmen Miranda-style’ person will be giving out drinks and food, so the festivities should smooth the way for an interesting start to the festival.

“We’re going to have a lot of fun. It’s all looking good.”

As publicist, Nick is never sure what he was going to get to open the festival with.
“Last year it was The Wind that Shakes the Barley, you know brother versus brother in Ireland you couldn’t get any more dramatic than that. It was quite a downbeat film by Ken Loach. He’s a social realist and he really let fly at the British and it was a hard film to get people up to…”

He’s confident this year’s opening will succeed.
“… put on some good music, and some good wine by Main Divide, and you’re right.”

Recommended viewing

It’s practically impossible to choose one movie to see above all others at a festival, so Nick suggested several ‘under the radar’ films that would be good viewing.

“There is one it’s called Once .You’ve got an Irish busker, just split up with his girlfriend, and he’s pining away, and he’s trying to seek solace through his music. He’s outside this store in Dublin and this geeky sort of girl, she’s a Czechoslovakian, with a young child listens to him and they start this kind of beautiful friendship. “Basically the whole film revolves around one week where these two go to a recording studio and record an album. Then there’s the parallel story of will they won’t they get together and it’s a very tactile, warm tale it’s absolutely beautiful can’t praise it enough.” Once is directed by John Carney.

“Going back to documentaries, there’s one called Jesus Camp. It’s about what’s going wrong in evangelical America. Now this is subjective, and I’m certainly going to market this film to all the charismatic churches in Christchurch. Come along and see this … what’s happening over there … let people be the judge, but it’s a very insightful documentary.”

The documentary-style realism of The Italian is a different take on children’s experiences in the modern world. Set in a Russian orphanage in the middle of winter this is a gritty piece, a world away from Disney sensibilities.
“You see cabbages and potatoes and turnips and all that, but man, how do people live in that landscape? Holy cow it’s dysfunctional, but generations have done. It comes out through the film, boy talk about landscapes!”

“I think there’s less of an emphasis on landscapes this year and more of a focus on inter-personal relationships there’s documentaries about Catholic bishops; there’s a beautiful film with Peter O’Toole he’s in the twilight of his career and it’s about him falling in love with and 18-year-old these are the issues are quite well explored in the festival. Father-son relationships in Romulus, my Father; Issues over Chinese families going to Melbourne in the 1970s and trying to fit in with Australian society then, and struggling. That’s called The Home Song Stories and I highly recommend that.”

The festival has a more personal appeal this year Nick says.
“Last year we definitely had a protest angle this year we’re looking inwards, and you’ve got to have that house in order before you can fix anything else.”

Nick described the Edith Piaf biography, La vie en rose, as “lavish”.
“I’ve had the privilege of seeing it. It’s very lavish, huge production values. Difficult subject my perception of Edith Piaf changed after watching the movie. I never knew how she got to where she was, and what sort of person she was.

“It’s boots and all, and doesn’t glamorise her career at all it’s grass-roots biopic, but very lavishly told.”

And the must see movie of the festival?

“I’ve seen about ten so far,” Nick says.
“Once is definitely one. The Home Song Stories is probably my top, top one. Another would be A guide to recognising your saints, which is about growing up tough in Brooklyn - really enjoyed that too.”

The festival is a massive undertaking, that even in its 31st year still relies on “unsung heroes,” Nick says.

“We have a wonderful support structure in Wellington that makes this happen. They seek the sponsorship from year to year. We have agents in Europe looking at the festivals it’s a real voluntary team effort and I’m just privileged to be part of it. It makes my work a lot easier.
“Tip of the hat to them.”

Monday 30th July, 2007