UTU REDUX Church Scene / Geoff Murphy
UTU REDUX Church Scene / Geoff Murphy
 

Utu Redux

by Geoff Murphy
Geoff Murphy's original 1983 classic take on the great New Zealand colonial epic, digitally re-mastered to glorious effect.
2013  ·  1h47m  ·  New Zealand
English
About the Film

Meaning retribution, Utu takes an unflinching look at the British colonial presence in the country during the 1870s. Te Wheke, a scout and guide for the British army, comes across his village, wiped out in a massacre by the British. He deserts and vows to take revenge against his former employers. Joining a group of other, equally angry Maori, he sets in motion a brutal campaign of terror and murder. It begins with a single woman and the burning of her house and spreads far and wide from there.

As Te Wheke, Anzac Wallace gives an unforgettable performance, ably supported by Kiwi icon Bruno Lawrence. Utu has lost none of its power or relevance in the years since its initial release, and this version gives new life to a story that should never be forgotten.

Distribution Availability: Canada and United States (Educational/Institutional & Community); Worldwide excluding New Zealand, Australia, and French-speaking Territories (Internet rights)
Upcoming Screenings

Stay tuned for upcoming screenings!

Festivals and Awards
2014
Berlin International Film Festival, Official Selection
2013
New Zealand International Film Festival, Official Selection
Cinematography
Graeme Cowley
Producer
Kerry Robins, Graeme Cowley & Don Blakeney
Soundtrack Composer
John Charles
Writer
Keith Aberdein and Geoff Murphy
About the Director

Geoff Murphy

Geoff Murphy was a leading figure in the new wave of Kiwi filmmakers that emerged in the 1970s. Geoff Murphy arguably helped usher in a new age of appreciation for New Zealand cinema, when he consecutively directed three classics of the Kiwi film renaissance. Murphy styled himself as a straight-talking rebel, Murphy’s gifts for action and comedy won him a wide audience, and ensured a run of work in Hollywood. He showed a keen eye for capturing Kiwi culture on screen. His movie Goodbye Pork Pie became the first blockbuster of the local film renaissance. He completed an unsurpassed triple punch with Utu and sci-fi classic The Quiet Earth. Noted for his skill at action, knockabout comedy, and melding genres, Murphy spent a decade in Hollywood before returning home. In 2013 he was also honoured as one of New Zealand’s 20 greatest living artists, as an Arts Foundation Arts Icon — the same month a restored, shortened version of his ’80s classic Utu won acclaim when it debuted at the NZ Film Festival. Geoff Murphy passed away on 3 December 2018.

(Biography courtesy of New Zealand On Screen.)

 

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