Vigil

Vigil

An original pastoral steampunk drama with a young, newly discovered star and a bleak atmosphere reminiscent of Victor Erice’s Spirit of the Beehive. Vigil is a film secret, hard to describe but intensely experienced. A beautiful debut by Vincent Ward in the first New Zealand film invited to play in the competitive section of the Cannes Film Festival.
Screening Schedule

No physical screenings scheduled.


Direction: Vincent Ward
Script: Vincent Ward, Graeme Tetley
Cinematography: Alun Bollinger
Editing: Simon Reece
Sound: Graham Morris, Ross A. Chambers, Dell King, Stewart Main
Music: Jack Body
Actors: Penelope Stewart, Frank Whitten, Bill Kerr, Fiona Kay, Gordon Shields
Production: John Maynard Production
Producers: John Maynard
Costumes: Glenys Jackson
Executive producer: Gary Hannam
Sets: Kai Hawkins
Camera: Chris Graves
Make Up: Sarah Anderson
Format: DCP
Color: Color
Production Country: New Zealand
Production Year: 1984
Duration: 90΄
Contact: New Zealand Film Commision, info@nzfilm.co.nz
Awards/Distinctions: Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design – New Zealand Film and TV Awards 1986

Vincent Ward

Vincent Ward ONZM (born 16 February 1956) is a New Zealand film director, screenwriter and artist, who was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2007 for his contribution to filmmaking. He is best known for his strongly visual and performance-driven feature films as well as for his ability to create visually striking and magical worlds. His films have received international recognition at both the Academy Awards and the Cannes Film Festival and they are acclaimed for their strong, iconic imagery. The Boston Globe called him “one of film’s great image makers,” while Roger Ebert, one of America’s foremost film critics, hailed him as “a true visionary.”

Filmography

1978 A State of Siege
1980 In Spring One Plants Alone (doc)
1984 Vigil
1988 The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey
1992 Map of the Human Heart
1998 What Dreams May Come
2005 River Queen
2008 Rain of the Children (doc)