REVIEW: 'Land of the Long White Cloud'RSS

REVIEW: 'Land of the Long White Cloud'

21st Jan 2010
By Andreas Heinemann, Flicks.co.nz

Talented local director Florian Habicht’s latest release is perfectly timed for summer, what with it being a documentary about fishing on one of our most famous beaches. It has an authentic kiwi feel that should be appreciated by local audiences.

The endless stretch of sand and surf that is Ninety Mile Beach lends itself to stunning landscape photography and the film is structured so that the landscape is infused with mystical, mythical qualities to become a friendly antagonist in man-versus-nature vignettes.

The cast of local characters who make up the fishing competition are approached with a mix of respectful understanding and gentle humour, allowing them to come across as entertaining whilst picking up the pearls of unconventional wisdom that drop from their lips. An offbeat soundtrack and some elaborate helicopter and underwater photography adds technical flourish to the humanist heart of the film.

The film’s running time is brief but that just keeps things tight and to the point without compromising the soothing, familiar qualities of the New Zealand beach, where you’ll want to head as soon as the closing credits run.