Caren Pistorius plays a Scottish lass in the American West.
Caren Pistorius plays a Scottish lass in the American West.
Two Kiwi actors are waiting to see how their movie — starring Hollywood big names — goes down here, writes Dominic Corry.
Directed by a Scot, shot in the South Island and set in America, critically acclaimed new Western Slow West is an international production in every sense.
Australian Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Road) and German-Irish Michael Fassbender lead the cast and rising Kiwi talents Caren Pistorius (Offspring) and Brooke Williams (Spartacus) head up the on-screen New Zealand contingent.
Pistorius plays Rose Ross, a Scottish lass who has escaped to the American West with her father (Rory McCann - Game of Thrones' The Hound) after some trouble with the law.
Smit-McPhee plays a childhood friend who is trying to track her down, and Fassbender is his rogue-ish protector.
"Rose is not like a damsel in distress in any way and I really like that about her," Pistorius tells Living.
"I liked that she makes choices that made me question her. She's not perfect in any way."
The charmingly off-kilter film received a positive reception in its debut at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, and has just opened in the United States to a raft of acclaim.
"John has his own sense of humour," says Pistorius, referring to the film's writer/director, John Maclean.
"Slow West is not at all a traditional Western. It's its own kind of thing."
The South African-born Pistorius, who moved to New Zealand with her family at 12, relished the chance to play against heavyweight acting talent like McCann.
"Rory is the coolest dude. I just adore that guy. I can't even explain it. He's really humble and super cool about Game of Thrones."
What about Fassbender?
"He is really normal and down to earth. Really collaborative, and super smart - he comes up with really interesting ideas. He takes the time to talk with everybody - I've worked with people who are not like that.
"The fame gets to their heads, and it's amazing to see that it has not affected him at all. It definitely says something about his nature."
Now Slow West has charmed the American critics, Pistorius is excited for Kiwis to get their taste.
"I can't wait to see how it sits with the New Zealand audience because I've got a little bit of a gauge overseas now but I really want to see how it goes down here."
Watch the trailer for Slow West here:
Her co-star, Williams - whom some may remember as Lana from Shortland Street - doesn't have as large a role as Pistorius in Slow West, but she is equally as memorable.
Her character, a Swedish immigrant, is at the centre of what is perhaps the film's most intense moment - a prolonged stand-off in which several characters bite the dust.
Williams makes a huge impression in just a few minutes of screen time.
"It's such a cool opportunity to come in and do a big full-on moment like that," Williams tells Living.
"John said he cast me because he wanted someone who could be fragile and tough in one moment. So that was really useful to hold on to when I'm in the scene."
Williams' extensive TV experience meant she appreciated the artful pace of a film shoot.
"It's such a luxury doing film. You get to really sink your teeth into the character."
In Williams' big scene she plays opposite Fassbender, and she was able to feed off the actor's casual intensity.
"He's got so much going on internally, you can feel it. Very funny, very intelligent and quite still. Even though it's a tiny moment I could really feel the energy. It was palpable."
Although Pistorius and Williams are sure to get a career boost from Slow West's increasingly positive reception, both actresses have exciting projects planned.
Slow West - shot in the South Island.
Pistorius can be seen in the upcoming New Zealand-shot drama, The Light Between Oceans (which also co-stars Fassbender), and Williams is in The Shannara Chronicles, the fantasy series shooting now in Auckland.
"It is based on a series of books about elves from the future," says Williams. "I'm playing an elf. It's really cool and I'm super excited about it."
But the allure of Hollywood must be strong for all young Kiwi actors.
"[Living in New Zealand] is working for me at the moment," says Pistorius.
"It's really nice. I get to come home. I don't see myself living in massive hubs like LA. But in saying that, you just never know."
"I've finally accepted that it's good to be ambitious," adds Williams.
"I have American representation. I've become a thousand times stronger actor just by reading scripts all the time and putting down audition tapes and having to really look at myself."
