THE STRENGTH OF WATER
New Zealand, 2009, 86 minutes, Colour.
Isaac Barber, Hato Paparoa, Melanie Mayall- Nahi.
Directed by Armagan Ballantyne.
The Strength of Water is quite moving New Zealand film, set among marry communities.
The particular focus is on a brother and sister, small children, as well as the background of mythologies and stories that families tell. And the sad accident, the little girl dies, and the brother refuses to believe that she has dead, seeing her at her sharing in his life. Ultimately, he has to come to terms with reality.
The film also tells the story of a community, focusing on families, hardships, brokenness. One of the key characters is a young man returns to the community from Australia, is connected with the little girl’s death, is hard done by by the community, but is able to help the little boy who admires him.
The New Zealand settings have an important feel about them, as well as portraying the natural beauty of the areas.
A modest but interesting New Zealand film.
1. A New Zealand film? Locations, characters, situations, spoken accent? Maori world?
2. The total, the visuals of the sea, Melody’s death?
3. The New Zealand coast, the sea, the cliffs, the beach? The town, the homes, the sheds, the chickens? An authentic realism? The musical score?
4. The twins, the bonds between them, age, experience, shared life, the sadness of death, the connection continuing, the sense of the other, sharing after death, learning to accept death?
5. Kimi and Melody, the performances by the child actors, realistic, their age, place in the family, the interactions, love for each other, the clashes, the different moods, with the chickens, in the shed, playing, their work, delivering the eggs, Tai and his arrival, their liking for him, interactions with him? His key role in the death of Melody?
6. Tai, walking into the town, his story, being in Australia, his experience there? The old house and his trying to settle in? Meeting the twins and going to their house, the welcome, hospitality, staying the night? His relationship with Mary, the growing bond, the jealousies in the town? The experience with the dog, protecting Melody, hiding in the chest, his hurrying, the door locking, shouting but unable to get out, Melody and her need for the inhaler, her death? There being found? The funeral? The young men and their bashing him? Her sharing with Mary, the discussions, her drug-taking, the decision to go?
7. Kimi at the funeral, upset, his grief, seeing Melody, moods and Angers, resuming his ordinary life, the family not seeing Melody, wondering, the chickens, taking her in the cart? Going to the hall, her photo, Kimi angrily and taking it down? Putting it in the chest? The talk between the two, his asking Tai about Melody and her breathing and death? Embracing Melody of the cliff, her disappearance, his restoring the photo to its place, with the Band-Aid? on the glass?
8. The port of the family, at home, the mother with the baby, the father and his work, their care for the twins? Mary and her guardian, the story of her parents leaving, the guardian and his strict control over Mary?
9. The young man at home, with the twins, with his parents, the violent streak, the bashing of Tai, his being idle?
10. The chickens, the work, the workers?
11. A picture of New Zealand, community, characters, tough and earthy, yet a sense of humanity?
