Anyone familiar with the triumph and tragedy of Dunedin band The Chills knows this story had to be told at some stage. The Chills had the opportunity to achieve world domination; it didn't happen. Instead lead singer and songwriter Martin Phillipps became a drug addict and ended up in debt.
The challenge in telling this story was picking the right time for the telling; after all, Martin Phillipps and The Chills aren't done yet.
Phillipps' brush with mortality a few years back proves to be the perfect point to jump into the extraordinary story of one of New Zealand's most iconic bands. His life-threatening brush with Hepatitis C and liver failure, providing an opportunity for reflection, redemption and a fresh start; and film-maker Julia Parnell grasps it with deft hands.
Early on in the film, we find ourselves in a medical examination room as Martin Phillipps learns 80 per cent of his liver is not functioning and if he continues drinking he will die. It's an intimate moment, but somehow not an awkward one. Parnell is a quiet observer and captures the moment with the same restrained manner with which Phillipps receives the news.
The news of his failing liver prompts a change in Phillipps. He sorts through his collections of toys and artefacts – throwing away the rubbish and allowing the rest to be used in an exhibition about The Chills.
