At The Movies for Wednesday 6 October 2021

AT THE MOVIES #852    THE RETURN OF THE FILM FESTIVAL

Simon Morris welcomes the belated return of the New Zealand International Film Festival, and invites director Marten Rabarts for an overview of the 2021 Festival, which opens – Covid willing – around the country in November.

Since the interview was recorded, it's just been announced that the Auckland leg of the Festival has had to be cancelled, due to lockdown restrictions.  It opens round the rest of the country throughout November – go to the Festival website nziff.co.nz for details.

This year the opening feature in the main centres is Jane Campion’s Power of the Dog, fresh from its triumphant debut at the Venice Film Festival.  Shot in New Zealand, it stars Benedict Cumberbatch.

The closing film is the highly controversial winner at Cannes, a French – a very French - sci-fi fantasy called Titane. 

But one of the highlights is Sisters with Transistors,  a documentary about women techno music pioneers, featuring Laurie Anderson (“O Superman”), Delia Derbyshire (“Doctor Who”) and Wendy Carlos (“Switched On Bach”).