Local canvas for Punch director
‘I fought for 15 years to bring the story into the light’
The multi-award winning feature film Punch opened for general viewing in cinemas in New Zealand this month, but on Saturday Te Awamutu’s first screening at the Regent Theatre was unique.
Punch was written, designed and directed by Te Awamutu born Dr Welby Ings.
Coming Home: An audience with Welby Ings was a one-off event around the screening. Welby introduced his film and following the screening gave a talk on the influence of Te Awamutu on his work.
Allan Webb Theatre trustee Dean Taylor facilitated the event. “My wife Robyn and I attended the world premiere at the Whanau Marama New Zealand International Film Festival 2022 at Auckland’s Civic Theatre and were proud to bring this important work home.”
It stars British actor and Oscarnominee Tim Roth, who featured in The Hateful Eight, Rob Roy, Pulp Fiction and Tin Star.
Punch also features local actors Jordan Oosterhof (Cul de Sac) and Toi Whakaari graduate Conan Hayes.
Te Awamutu actress Tammy Lee also has a role, and Welby’s mother Lois, sister Suzanne and her wife Jenny Jenkins have cameo roles.
Welby is an award-winning director with a number of prizewinning short film credits, including 2004 film Boy.
Described by his alma mater, Auckland University of Technology
— where he is also a professor of art and design — as “a disobedient thinker”, he has a PhD on the structure and profiles of narrative music videos and television commercials that he completed in 2005, is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (UK), a consultant to many international organisations on issues of creativity and learning, and a member of the Designers’ Institute of New Zealand and the New Zealand Screen Directors’ Guild.
His directorial and writing credits include the short films: The Coopers, Boy, Sparrow (which was officially selected for over 80 festivals and has won 20 awards) and Munted.
Punch is a contemporary love story about loyalty and redemption.
The story follows 17-year-old small-town golden boy and boxing hero Jim (Oosterhof), who carries the hopes and dreams of his father Stan (Roth) on his shoulders.
His growing relationship with local boy Whetu (Hayes) forces him to confront the truth about his sexuality, navigating isolation, hypocrisy and the brutality of small-town life. The film has been a long-time passion project for Welby.
“I am so proud of this story — rarely told — it’s a homage to a truth-facing, compassionate world,” he says.
“Sometimes adversity is beautiful. Punch is like that.
“I fought for 15 years to bring the story into the light.
“Magnificent cast and crew wrestled the film from between the jaws of Covid-19 and the country that
Punch is really the story of anybody who has fought to find their place in the world, even when this means losing the things that keep you safe.
Welby revealed much about himself and his motivation for filmmaking in an excellent interview with Canvas magazine feature writer Joanna Wane — available by searching Welby Ings at nzherald.co.nz
Also search Tim Roth and find out about the man questioning how he even ended up starring in the film — as well as other insights into being in New Zealand.
But nowhere, apart from Coming Home: An audience with Welby Ings, will we find out how influential Te Awamutu was on the film — right down to the layout of the fictional setting of Pirau.
To help support the event, Welby’s sketches that were made to help him visualise his film were exhibited in Te Awamutu.
Welby says he made hundreds of drawings, using pencil, ink and coffee granules in old notebooks and scraps of paper as a way to feel his way into a story, solve problems and get a feel for a project.
Many also contain notes and lines of potential storylines, script or simply the “poetic spirit” of the scene.
Works can still be viewed at Te Awamutu Library and Storyteller Eatery & Bar.