Sernedhu Polama was filmed and produced in NZ and opens on Friday.
Sernedhu Polama was filmed and produced in NZ and opens on Friday.
Peter Jackson inspires Asian migrants to make movies for release here and overseas, and that could mean more tourists visiting this country, says a professor of diversity.
Some new migrants have moved to New Zealand with dreams of becoming "like Peter Jackson" - and are prepared to use everything they own to bring their film projects to life.
Sasi Nambissan, a chemical engineer from India, and his wife Rita Sasidharan, a medical oncologist, used equity on their New Zealand home to fund an $880,000 production called Sernedhu Polama.
The Tamil movie will be the first Indian feature-length movie fully filmed in New Zealand to be screened overseas, and will open this Friday here and in India, Malaysia, Singapore, Dubai and Australia.
Last year, Chinese migrant Nicole Kang produced The Love, a $30,000 budget Mandarin movie believed to be the first made by a fully local Chinese cast and crew.
Negotiations are still ongoing to bring the Chinese romantic comedy to screens in China.
Edwina Pio, a professor of diversity at AUT University, says Peter Jackson may be the inspiration for these migrant movie makers.
"Of course our very own doyen producer Peter Jackson has provided a magnificent impetus to the general populace," Professor Pio said.
"This impetus, in tandem with the 48 Hours film festivals, which recognise film-makers of short movies, YouTube and the ubiquitous iPhone, which takes high-definition video, have further encouraged aspiring and professional film makers to follow the global trend of making short films."
Professor Pio said examples of other short films produced in New Zealand include Nenjukkil Neethi (Justice in Your Heart) and Swasame (My Breath).
Independent filmmaking and locally produced Asian movies are not new, but self-funded, self-produced migrant-made movies in minority ethnic languages are.
Both The Love and Sernedhu Polama were made without NZ Film Commission funding.
Locally made Chinese movie The Love was released last year.
Tamils make up less than 1 per cent of the New Zealand population, but Professor Pio said the global Tamil market is "titanic" with more than 60 million in India alone.
"Tamil cinema with the epithet Kollywood is one of the largest centres of film production in India. "Perhaps films such as those being produced in New Zealand for the gargantuan Indian and widespread diasporic Tamil market will make our shores more desirable," said Professor Pio.
The Love producer Miss Kang said New Zealand's natural beauty made it every movie-maker's "dream filming destination".
"You don't have to spend too much money to get a beautiful setting or background, that's a big cost saving," she said.
Miss Kang said the movie, her first and screened only in New Zealand, had yet to make a profit but provided "good training" for her and her production team.
She said the team planned to shoot another feature film this year with support from the China Film Group Co-operation.
"For this movie, we will drive and shoot from the north to south to show New Zealand's landscape," Miss Kang said.
Alex Lee, Unitec's performing and screen arts head of department, said some filmmakers would risk their homes in the hope of becoming "the next Peter Jackson".
"However, the chances of anyone with little experience in filmmaking or how to market a film being able to make any money from the film are slim," Mr Lee said.
"The lack of funding, experience and knowledge are limiting."
An image from Sernedhu Polama.
Making a movie was more than just about accessibility to equipment, but a "science and craft" learned either through film school or by working in the industry, he said.
"If films are not well made and suffering from poor story-telling and quality, it may also have a negative impact."
Mr Lee said successful local flims helmed by Asian producers such as himself, Shuchi Kothari and Sarina Pearson included Apron Strings, The Last Magic Show and Hip Hoperation. He said the NZ Film Commission should help develop more Asian producers, and not just directors and writers.
"There are only a small group of us who are Asian producers, it is vital that any development of Asian writers and directors must also be accompanied with the development of Asian producers," he said.
"The latter is the key to unlocking Asian diaspora stories made in New Zealand that will travel and succeed internationally."
Mr Lee said international exposure could also reap benefits for the tourism and export education sector.
"For example, the TV series Papa, Where Are We Going?, produced by Hunan TV, which has the highest audience rating [for a] TV show ever in China," he said.
"Since the NZ episode was shown, there has been an increase in tourism and students inquiring about studying in New Zealand."
Engineer, doctor step out with their travel love story
Sasi Nambissan says he had dreamed about shooting a movie in New Zealand since 1998, when he moved here from India.
The 56-year-old chemical engineer says that when Serndhu Polama, or Shall We Go Together, opens this Friday it will be a "dream come true".
The film, shot entirely in New Zealand between January and March last year, will be screened in cities with a combined population of more than 190 million.
"It has always been my dream to be a movie producer and to show off the beauty of New Zealand to the world," said Mr Nambissan.
Rita Sasidharan says it's always been a dream for her husband, Sasi Nambissan, to make a movie. Photo / Nick Reed
He migrated with his wife and two sons, but did not get around to making a movie until now because "the situation just wasn't right".
"We had family commitments and professional responsibilities, so had to put our dreams to one side," he said.
Neither he nor wife Rita Sasidharan, a medical oncologist, had any experience in movie production.
But in 2012 the couple produced a stage musical called Taj Mahal with 110 performers from different ethnic backgrounds.
"We felt a little more confident after that, and thought 'well it's time, and we're ready to make our first movie'," Mr Nambissan said.
Serndhu Polama is a travel love story about a young New Zealand-based Indian couple and their childhood friends. The cast and crew are mainly from India, and the lead roles are played by Tamil actors Vinay Rai and Madhurima Banerjee.
Local actors and child actors were used only in smaller roles.
"We needed names that will draw people to watch the movies, so that's why we didn't look locally," Mr Nambissan said. The couple used equity on their home to take out a loan to fund the $880,000 production cost after failing to get funding from the NZ Film Commission.
Dr Sasidharan said she knew they were taking a "big risk" but it was something they had to make.
