NEWS Tragic killing inspiration for film
A tragic murder in Porirua was the inspiration for a film getting attention around the world.
Whitby-raised film-maker Sam Kelly, 30, last week flew to the world’s most prestigious short film festival, the ClermontFerrand festival in France, which will screen his short film Lambs.
Just 77 international films have been accepted into the festival, out of 6000 entries, Mr Kelly says. The film has also been accepted into the Berlin International Film Festival which begins on Thursday.
Lambs is set in Cannons Creek, and tells the story of 14-year-old Jimmy, who must choose whether to stay at home and protect his siblings from abuse or leave and start his own life.
It was written in reaction to the 2007 murder of ‘ Fitz’ Risati, who was stabbed by strangers on his 24th birthday in Cannons Creek.
Mr Kelly went to Bishop Viard College with Mr Risati, directing him in several school plays, and Mr Risati was good friends with Mr Kelly’s younger brother.
‘‘It was a massive shock,’’ Mr Kelly says.
‘‘ Nicest guy I’ve ever come across. His family’s beautiful. That started me thinking about the influence of gangs and it got me interested in that world.’’
Mr Kelly began researching gang culture, and met young people at at-risk programmes.
‘‘ They have really incredible stories about their own backgrounds. There’s a lot of similarities in their stories often, coming from homes of abuse and neglect. I felt pretty disturbed at this, and felt like ‘why is this still happening in our developed country?’’’
He began writing a featurelength film about a Porirua gang prospect, but received funding to make a short film, so wrote Lambs, which takes place in the same grim world. It is gaining acclaim for its touching but gritty story and the performance of its non- professional cast, many of whom were scouted in supermarkets and boxing clubs in Porirua.
Lead actor Waka Rowlands hails from Wainuiomata but Mr Kelly had hoped to get a Porirua boy in the role.
‘‘ Lots of kids had tough exteriors but weren’t prepared to open up. Or if they were, they were too soft for the role.’’
Waka is being hailed by some critics as the next Keisha CastleHughes for his performance.
Cast and crew have seen the film, but it won’t be screened here at least until July’s New Zealand International Film Festival, which Mr Kelly hopes will accept Lambs.
‘‘ I would
love
to have a screening in Porirua.’’
Long before Lambs, Mr Kelly’s films were a hit with critics. His team won the Wellington heat of the annual 48 Hours film competition in 2006, 2007 and 2008, and gained an additional slew of awards for direction, cinematography and acting. His short film Frames made it into the 2006 New Zealand International Film Festival.
Mr Kelly plans to move to the UK after promoting Lambs in France and Germany this month. There he will continue to write the gang- themed feature film which was interrupted by Lambs. However, Mr Kelly promises to return to Porirua in a couple of years to film it.
‘‘It’s a Porirua story.’’