This unmissable, engrossing New Zealand drama, set and shot in Hokianga, screened at the world’s biggest festivals in 2009 – including Cannes, Berlin, Shanghai and Rotterdam. It won three prestigeous awards in France – Grand Jury Prize at the Festival International du Premier Film d’Annonay, Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award at the Cine Junior Film Festival, and the Audience Award at the Saint-Tropez Film Festival. Now Strength of Water it’s on on DVD.
We talk with first-time feature director Armagan Ballantyne, the film’s young star Hato Paparoa (who played the lead role of Kimi), and screenwriter Briar Grace-Smith about the making of their movie.
Armagan Ballantyne, director
FLICKS: What are the origins of the film? How did you come to the script and screenwriter Briar Grace-Smith?
ARMAGAN: Briar and I became friends first, we were keen to tell a story together and spent a few weeks traveling New Zealand getting to know one another, sharing stories, and dreaming up ideas. Then Briar went home and started to write up some story-lines after that we would get together and chat about them as her characters and story grew.
This was your first feature film. Did it seem like a big step up from your previous work?
Yes! But an exciting one. I enjoyed making short films but in making a feature it was great to follow characters over a longer period of time. Its a challenge because there is so much more of everything to juggle, so you have to have good stamina and it helps if your passionate about the story your telling.
The Strength of Water features fantastic child performances. What was your approach to working with them?
All the child actors and teenagers were non-professional actors, a huge part of getting the performances you want starts in getting the casting right. We searched high and low for our characters, auditioning hundreds and hundreds of people. Then once we cast the film it was a process of building trust between each of the cast members and myself. Then getting them familiar with the story and their characters emotional arch. Teaching them about the filmmaking process. They all worked extremely hard and were very brave.
A towering presence in the film is the landscape. Do you see the location as a character in the film? What influence does the location have on the story?
The location was always very much part of the story. It is an awesome place the Hokianga, where we shot most of the film, and impossible to spend time there without connecting to the natural world, weather, landscape, animals, the beauty and it’s harshness.
The cinematography is stunning. Your cinematographer was Bogumil Godfrejow – who is from Cracow/Poland (a long way from Hokianga!). How did you decide on Bogumil and what did he bring to the look of the film?
Because we had a German co-production we needed to use a European DOP, I saw a film that Bogumil had shot called Requiem. I was drawn to his use of hand held camera, he has a great instinct for catching the action, giving the actors a lot of freedom to move in the space. This excited me especially as we were working with non-professional actors and lots of animals. I traveled to Poland to meet up with him and a beer or two later he was heading to New Zealand! He was very excited to shoot here. Visually it couldn’t be more different from Poland, he loved the landscape and the light.
Hato Paparoa, lead actor (Kimi)
FLICKS: Your performance is wonderful. Did you find it hard to act in front of all the equipment and crew?
HATO: Thats a good question! When I first started filming I found the lights and equipment a bit of a distraction but then I got used to it and concentrated on my character and the role that I was playing, that kept me focused.
Have you done any more acting since The Strength of Water?
Since we finished the film I’ve been concentrating on getting back into school work and have been fitting in traveling and promoting the movie. I would pursue acting as a career but there is no rush. I like learning and doing all sorts of things.
How did you find working with Armagan and your co-star Melanie?
Well thats pretty simple really, I totally enjoyed working with everyone in the cast and crew! Melanie is my cousin so our bond came naturally and with Armagan’s help making the film was a wonderful journey to experience.
The Strength of Water has played at many of the world’s most prestigious film festivals – where you able to attend any? What was that like?
Yes. I was invited to attend the Berlinale Film Festival in Berlin. Traveling across the world for the first time was super exciting and I was very honoured to represent the film. Also the first time I watched the film was at the Berlin screening with a thousand people, it was very nerve wracking! And then we had to get up and answer questions in front of all those people which was even more nerve wracking but also fun.
Briar Grace-Smith, screenwriter
FLICKS: Where did the idea for the story come from?
BRIAR: Stories come from many places, for me the characters usually drive what happens in the plot. So a lot of time is spent thinking about them first. One of the first characters that popped up was a young boy who loved sumo wrestling. The landscape too was a big character from very early on and its wildness helped in setting the mood and tone of the story.
You have written extensively for the stage. What was the main challenge in writing for the screen?
In theatre the telling of the story lies mainly in the dialogue, for film the power lies in the visuals. The main challenge was getting my head around telling the story visually, and understanding that the smallest of details; light or a drop of rain on a leaf, can take on huge significance on screen.
The script was developed at the Sundance Labs. How did you find that experience?
It was a validating experience. By the time we went to Sundance for the writers and directors labs, the script was in quite good shape and the big questions had all been answered.The mentors advice helped the story move forward, rather than unpicking what had already been written because it wasn’t adding up.
What is the message or feeling you hope people take away from watching the movie?
Hope. This is not supposed to be a sad story. Its about coming through something big and even though its hard, being stronger because of that experience.
