From The Volcano emerges Boy, a story of potential

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – 12th October 2009

From The Volcano Emerges Boy

From THE VOLCANO emerges BOY, a story of potential.

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James Rolleston - BOY

The year is 1984, and on the rural East Coast of New Zealand “Thriller” is changing kids’ lives. Inspired by the Oscar nominated Two Cars, One Night, BOY is the hilarious and heartfelt coming-of-age tale about heroes, magic and Michael Jackson.

When asked about the change from the working title, producer Ainsley Gardiner comments “As we cut the film the performance from the lead, James Rolleston, was just so simple and powerful, that it felt like it needed the same in a title. ‘Boy’ just says it like it is.”

Written and directed by Taika Waititi, BOY has just finished editing in Auckland. It was shot in beautiful Waihau Bay and sound post production is now underway in Wellington at Park Road Post.

Waititi’s childhood in Waihau Bay provided much inspiration for BOY. On delivering the final cut of BOY Waititi comments, “I’m looking forward to showing my whanau what they helped to create. I don’t think they really knew what I did before that, even now, I’m not sure if they really know what they’ve done.”

BOY is the debut feature for James Rolleston and Te Aho Eketone-Whitu.

Rolleston (11) is Boy, a dreamer who loves Michael Jackson and lives with his brother Rocky, and a tribe of deserted cousins and his Nan. Eketone-Whitu (8), plays Rocky who spends his days being weird, hanging out with his dead mother at the cemetery and working on controlling his magic powers, the ones that he believes put Mum there.

Boy’s other hero, his father, Alamein (Waititi) is the subject of Boy’s fantasies, and he imagines him a deep sea diver, war hero and a close relation of Michael Jackson (he can even dance like him). In reality he’s ‘in the can for robbery’.

BOY will be released through Transmission Films on April 1st of 2010 - Summer, girls, drugs, gangs…it’s not easy being 11.

*BOY is financed by the NZ Film Fund, NZ Film Commission, Unison Films, NZ On Air, Maori Television Station and Te Mangai Paho.

ENDS

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