Settlers Film Club "Land of the Long White Cloud"

LAND OF THE LONG WHITE CLOUD

New Zealand 2009, 75mins PG

Director: Florian Habicht   

Florian Habicht describes his latest exposé of the recreational habits of Northlanders as a 'sequel of sorts' to his classic ‘Kaikohe Demolition’. Claimed to be the largest surfcasting event in the world, the annual Ninety Mile Beach Red Snapper Classic attracts hundreds of anglers for five days every February to compete for prizes in excess of $250,000, with the biggest snapper taking out a serious $50,000. Habicht joins them, camera in hand, full of questions about what they might be thinking as they engage in this elemental and apparently very relaxing pursuit. How will they spend the prize money? Do they believe in an afterlife? Habicht relishes the individual flavour of every frank response. There are interludes of boisterous carousing, grueling scenes of snapper Passion, and long and lovely shots of the long and lovely beach. The amiable atmosphere of tolerance and unpretentious philosophising is so salty and true and rousing that you could bottle it, call it Kiwiade, and sell it by the crateload to homesick expatriates. 

PLUS  Short Film “POROPOROAKI” (Farewell) 12 mins

 Director: Geoffrey Clendon New Zealand, 14 mins  In Maori with English subtitles. A grieving English father is helped by his Maori wife to overcome the loss of their child in 19th century New Zealand.Maori director Geoffrey Clendon began his career as an actor. He is currently writing a feature film set on the remote and wild coast of northern New Zealand.