Sex Education director and young actor on
In the fifth part of our summer series about people making great strides in their fields, Kelly Dennett and Sarah Catherall talk to two creatives about new projects.
Ask director Michelle Savill what 2023 will bring for her and she hesitates. ‘‘That’s such a tough question, because it’s the freelance life… things will suddenly happen, you know.’’
Although Savill does go on to name some pretty epic things in the pipeline, you could place a solid bet on the talented creative having another busy year indeed. Speaking over the phone from the UK, where she’s been directing the fourth series of the popular Netflix show Sex Education, Savill is gearing up for a summer in Melbourne, before returning to finish up on the series in March.
The comedy drama series follows the lives of students and staff at a fictional high school. The Guardian called it glorious, heartfelt and eye-wateringly funny.
Prior to her stint on Sex
Education, Savill in 2021 created her first feature film, Millie Lies Low, which premiered at Wha¯ nau Marama New Zealand Film Festival, and then internationally at Berlinale Berlin International Film Festival. The film (which the Guardian also called ‘‘ingenious satire’’) follows an anxious Millie travelling from Wellington to New York for an internship at a prestigious architecture firm.
This year, Savill is looking forward to making headway on a new project – it’s in the advanced stages – with Sophie Henderson and Chelsie Preston-Crayford, about a woman with a little known gynaecological condition, vaginismus.
‘‘It’s inspired by one of our friend’s experiences with it,’’ says Savill.
‘‘And the more we’ve researched and talked to other women who have had it, it just really wasn’t talked about much, openly. We all know about how men, they can’t get it up and there’s a pill, but women’s health and women’s bodies are always the least studied.
‘‘We wanted to explore that, but it’s a comedy, in a humorous way. The more content made about people’s experience with it, the better.’’
How does she pick what she wants to work on? ‘‘I’m always looking for each project to be different. I just know it when I see it or hear it or think it. I just want to work, ultimately, I guess on good projects that fascinate me, and the key on that is to work with good people as well. It’s really just that simple.’’
Finishing up on Sex Education will be bittersweet.
‘‘It’s been such a great project. I’ve loved everyone I’ve worked with. On every film or TV show, you become a family and then the project ends and you will leave and there is a sense of sadness because you will never be together like that again. But it’s nice to move on and catch up on sleep and spend time with your family – and release what you’ve made into the world.’’
Aged 21, Aki Munroe has already achieved two of her goals – to be chosen to act in a feature film, and to star in Kura, the Papakura-set comedy which is trending on TVNZ.
She can’t release the details of her first feature film, apart from to say that she began rehearsing in January and she’s excited and proud to be part of the New Zealand production.
What she can talk about
‘‘Growing up halfcaste, there wasn’t a lot of people I saw that were half-caste who were put in specific roles. I knew I’d have an impact on younger people. I hope people will see there is representation and connect with me.’’
Aki Munroe, left
though, is her role in Kura – which has had 1.8 million streams on TVNZ+. Kura released its third season in January and Munroe acts as Po, a young woman who meets the lead character, Billy.
‘‘I’m excited for people to see what happens. I loved Kura before even doing the show.’’
Munroe has been acting since she was a young girl, when she grew up on the North Shore with her Ma¯ ori father and Pa¯ keha¯ mother. She also loved to sing, and would often perform with her family.
Speaking te reo is another passion – she went to Kohanga Reo and was in bilingual units at her successive schools.
After making her screen debut in Shortland Street when she was just 17 (she guested as Rangimarie Rameka, the daughter of Te Rongopai Rameka played by Kim Garrett), she was a natural choice to feature in the web series Ahika¯ roa – a bilingual drama series which follows the trials and tribulations of urban friends – which is in now in its third season.
She has been a recurring lead in two seasons since. ‘‘People watch the show and they tell me it makes them want to pick up their te reo again, which always makes me feel good,’’ she says.
‘‘Growing up half-caste, there wasn’t a lot of people I saw that were half-caste who were put in specific roles. I knew that I’d have an impact on younger people. I hope that people will see that there is representation and connect with me.’’