Sunday, July 22, 2007

NZ FILM - Local Success

With the highly-anticipated film festival now under way, attention has quickly turned to the success of local filmmaker Taika Waititi with his film Eagle vs. Shark. Waititi's film, which was shot and set in Wellington, screened to a sold out Embassy Theatre on Saturday night as film enthusiasts look forward to an exciting few weeks.

I'd like to comment on the Dominion Post's article about the film by Tom Cardy, particularly on the 'local pride' feel that is created. The title of the article states "Eagle soars on the home front". Instantly, we can see how Cardy has taken 'Eagle' from the title of the film and used it symbolically to portray local success (the eagle is a symbol of success). In doing so, Cardy puts the work of a local filmmaker at the forefront of the film festival, which consists of films from all over the world. The early success of Eagle vs. Shark is undoubtedly aided by the recent popularity of the comedy show Flight of the Conchords in which actor Jermaine Clement of Eagle vs. Shark features. Cardy mentions Waikiti's oscar nomination and his "extensive" publicity tour across the United States as well as the positive reviews the film received in major U.S. newspapers, namely the New York Post and the Washington Post, whilst also discussing Waikiki's upcoming project, Two Cars, One Night.
On a final note, I think this article by Tom Cardy is interesting because it discusses both Eagle vs. Shark and Taika Waititi as a filmmaker in general by mentioning his upcoming projects and achievements.

Link:
Cardy's article