A LOT WAS SAID LAST NIGHT
STORY
Whisky, weather - and a harmonica - push a business partnership to breaking point in the isolation of a Northland Kauri Forest from yesteryear.
FILMMAKERS
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Mark Mitchinson
WRITER/DIRECTOR/ACTOR
Mark Mitchinson is a multi-award-winning actor who has performed in over a hundred New Zealand, Australian, and international feature-films and television-series including: Mystery Road, Our Flag Means Death, Human Traces, Rake, The Hobbit, Siege, The Gulf, Dear Murderer, Safe Home, and the international hit Highroad - which he also produced and contributed to as a writer.
Throughout his many years of experience, he has worked with some of the best directors, cinematographers, and producers in the industry. He has a detailed knowledge of film and television making, both in front and behind the camera.
The proposed short film A LOT WAS SAID LAST NIGHT represents a directional change for him, as well as an expansion of his skills into directing. It is the fulfilment of a lifetime goal: to write, direct, and star in his own film.
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Phillida Perry
PRODUCER
Phillida Perry is a creative producer with a career in law, business, and the arts. Co-founder of Daughter Films with director Gwen Isaac, Phillida produced Gwen’s feature documentary MS. INFORMATION (released Whānau Mārama NZIFF, 2023) and short documentary SIOUXSIE & THE VIRUS, 2020.
Phillida co-produced Elinor Teele’s short drama PULLING UP STUMPS set in Central Otago staring Ian Mune & Mark Mitchinson, released 2023. She is now producing Mark Mitchinson’s short period-drama A LOT WAS SAID LAST NIGHT.
Phillida has multiple documentary and drama projects in development including adaption of Tracey Slaughter’s novella THE LONGEST DRINK IN TOWN into a feature drama and her own screen writing that explores identity, family, and post-colonial unease through her family’s intergenerational farming history in Wairarapa, New Zealand (est. 1841).
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Julian Biss
WRITER
Julian is an avid writer and storyteller.
He spent much of his early life travelling throughout Europe with various international theatre troupes as a sound technician. It has always been Julian's ambition to write and through recent collaborations with Mark Mitchinson on film projects, the script for A LOT WAS SAID LAST NIGHT came to fruition. Julian has found enthusiasm and success with his quirky poetic writing style.
He has begun his first novel and continues to work on other screenplays.
CAST
Alfred.
Played by Mark Mitchinson.
Mark Mitchinson is a multi-award-winning actor who has performed in over a hundred New Zealand, Australian, and international feature-films and television-series including: Mystery Road, Our Flag Means Death, Human Traces, Rake, The Hobbit, Siege, The Gulf, Dear Murderer, Safe Home, and the international hit Highroad - which he also produced and contributed to as a writer. Throughout his many years of experience, he has worked with some of the best directors, cinematographers, and producers in the industry. He has a detailed knowledge of film and television making, both in front and behind the camera. The proposed short film A LOT WAS SAID LAST NIGHT represents a directional change for him, as well as an expansion of his skills into directing. It is the fulfilment of a lifetime goal: to write, direct, and star in his own film.
Jack.
Played by Erroll Shand.
Erroll Shand has built a prolific career in the local and international screen industry over the last two decades with his affinity for diverse, character-driven roles. Most recently, Erroll plays series regular 'Captain Meares' alongside Jason Momoa in Hawaiian history epic CHIEF OF WAR for Apple TV+, and stars alongside Teresa Palmer, Miranda Otto and Guy Pearce in psychological thriller series THE CLEARING for Disney+ and The Twelve (S2) with Sam Neil for Warner Bros. Other recent television roles include OUR FLAG MEANS DEATH (HBO), SWEET TOOTH S2 (Netflix), SHANTARAM (Paramount Pictures), Feature films include PIKE, New Zealand biopic WHINA, and the critically-acclaimed THE JUSTICE OF BUNNY KING and the romantic lead in Oscar-nominated Portuguese/English feature film PENQUENO SEGREDO | LITTLE SECRET.
ATUA MĀORI GODS & HEROS
ATUA – God, supernatural being, deity or ancestor.
In the beginning, there was nothingness, until the parentless first being IO MAUA KORE created RANGINUI the sky father who mated with PAPATŪĀNUKU the Earth-mother and they had children who became guardians of their realms and filled the world with their creations.
TĀNEMAHUTA - GOD of forests, birds and insects created kauri trees to populate his forests. Kauri trees are the physical manifestation of TĀNEMAHUTA’S presence.
TANGAROA – GOD of the sea and fish of all kinds.
TŪMATAUENGA – GOD of humans and god of war who has ‘two of the insightful eyes’.
RONGOMATĀNE – God of Cultivation and Peace.
In the sea, the greatest of all ocean dwellers is the tohorā, the whale. On land, the mightiest living thing is the kauri, the giant tree of the Northern forest ranges.
The tangata whenua of Waipoua, To Raroa, are kaitiaki of the kauri.
The tangata whenua of Ngātiwai (iwi on the East coast of Northland who descend from Ngāti Manaia, one of the oldest lineages in Te Taitokerau) are kaitiaki of the tohorā.
Hori Parata, Ngātiwai kaumatua says of his whakapono:
The kauri with legs became the whale with fins and it was fitting that the giant of the forest, and the giant of the sea should become friends.
The whale would wash itself ashore in moments of distress to communicate with the kauri. In one such time of need, as men increasingly felled kauri for its wood, the whale approached the coastline to prophesise the downfall of the kauri by man and implore it’s friend to seek refuge in the sea. Tohorā said:
They may be small and insignificant, but their sharp greenstone axes will bite into you and their fire will burn you. Come with me while there is still time.
Kauri refused to abandon the land of TĀNEMAHUTA, so the tohorā devised another option.
Let us change our skins in order that we may remember each other.
So kauri and tohorā traded skins, sealing their connection from then on. This is why the kauri has smooth grey bark like it’s brother’s slick skin and is full of an amber resin like the sperm whale is full of oil. The physical similarities mark their underlying connection. A physical manifestation of their mythological bond.
Credits:
The filmmakers are consulting with tangata whenua of Te Roroa and Ngātiwai and other relevant iwi of Te Taitokerau to appropriately incorporate the atua and mythology of the mighty kauri and forest as a central character and presence in this film.
Cultural advisors Whare PR :
Bridget Payton Tapsell and Rangi Ahipene
Madeline Eli Halpern
CULTURAL SAFETY
ENVIRONMENT IMPACT
Rongoā methodologies are designed with the safeguarding of Mātauranga Maori.
Kauri Protection Ambassadors serve a vital role in maintaining the health and longevity of kauri forests by educating the public about Kaurai Dieback Disease and how it can be avoided.
Madeline Eli Halpern Wrote a thesis on Kauri entitled ‘A living giant’ to educate the community and encourage community support to control this disease. The elements of creating this Kaupapa are born of the sea as well as the land.
Dr Kate James, Environmental Scientist, Conservation Manager Driving Creek Conservation Park (Locations & Kauri Dieback Advice)
Dr Jason Smith, Kauri Museum Matakohe The Kauri Museum | Matakohe | Tourist attraction Northland (Props, Locations & Kauri Dieback Support)
COLLABORATORS
Dave Cameron Director of Photography
Megan Vertelle Production Designer
Brian Shaw Editor
PRESS
