Tonight I saw the New Zealand film/doco How Far Is Heaven. The film is set in the town of Jerusalem, near Whanganui. The Sisters of Compassion convent was established there over a hundred years ago and three Pakeha nuns still live there today. The film explores their relevance to the community, and follows a number of children as they live through a summer, autumn, winter and spring in this tiny place. It was a really beautiful, observational film that hinted at the wider socio-economic problems that play out in the microcosm that is Jerusalem, but didn't really delve into darker subject matter. The children in this film are absolutely incredible, I think the filmmakers must feel so lucky to have stumbled across them, real good fortune eh. Damien, an insane little dude, is hilarious, Chevy is beautiful and intriguing, and DJ (pictured) is so good, can't believe he isn't an actor. To have such camera presence and openness and the most expressive face... it amazes me how much the characters opened up to the camera. I guess the fact that they had a year to get used to it helps. After the film, the filmmakers Chris Pryor and Miriam Smith were there to answer our questions, omg. I WISH I could be at the Wellington screening though. Anyone in Wellington, if tickets haven't sold out, you should go on Saturday night. Many of the characters are coming to Wellington for it, you can film-geek all over them.
Really made me feel that NZ is a land of paradoxes/extremes. Jerusalem is a paradise, but you also wonder where these kids will be in ten years. Domestic violence/unemployment/drug abuse/gang membership/native forest/horse-riding/river-swimming/karakia/piano lessons/taniwha
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