NZIFF 2019 Christchurch 8 Aug–26 Aug 2019

Films — by Collection

Staff Picks: Sandra Reid

A maximum of 12 picks obligatorily narrows down the list of the many films that have wowed me over the past 12 months – starting with Maiden, Amazing Grace, and most recently Portrait of a Lady on Fire and La Belle Époque (the latter two from our fab Cannes line-up). I don’t want to exclude any of them. Faced with this dilemma, my picks, listed in alphabetical order, are an opportunity to highlight a few titles striking for their formal approach or content, or their freshness, which may not be so obvious in our line-up, along with documentaries and an animated film that have left a lasting impression. These are complemented by two features from New Zealand and Australia I’m very much looking forward to seeing (but this is no indication that I’m not looking forward to also seeing Judy & Punch and so much more). And a delirious tale involving a murderous dress. — Sandra Reid, Programmer

Adam

Maryam Touzani

Set in Casablanca’s Old Medina, this nuanced tale of female solidarity transcending temperamental difference captivates through the richly detailed performances of two superb actresses.

Bellbird

Hamish Bennett

Marshall Napier, Cohen Holloway and Rachel House shine in Hamish Bennett’s beautifully judged, poignantly funny drama of life and community on a struggling Northland family dairy farm.

For Sama

Waad al-Kateab, Edward Watts

Shot over five years, Waad al-Kateab’s intimate, Cannes award-winning film addresses her baby daughter and delivers a harrowing account of the war in Aleppo, the devastation wrought on the city, its people and children.

In Fabric

Peter Strickland

A cross between Suspiria and an old Farmers catalogue, the latest from retro genre stylist Peter Strickland, centring on a demonic dress at a posh department store, gleefully satirises fashion and consumerism.

The Nightingale

Jennifer Kent

Winner of the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival, Jennifer Kent’s brutal revenge saga is an unrelenting reckoning with white male oppression – and not for the faint of heart.

Ruben Brandt, Collector

Ruben Brandt, a gyűjtő

Milorad Krstić

Boasting batshit surreal imagery, fist-pumping action sequences and a wall-to-wall shrine of art and cinema references, Ruben Brandt, Collector is a new milestone for animated invention.