Locally made film Taupō Love Story hits the big screen at Starlight Cinema next week. Photo / Supplied
Locally made film Taupō Love Story hits the big screen at Starlight Cinema next week. Photo / Supplied
Made by Taupō actors, musicians and filmmakers, Taupō Love Story tells the tale of two lovers separated during wartime, only to be reunited in Taupō many years later.
Written and directed by Taupō local David Nutt, the film is based on real events that happened to a Taupō family. It is the third in a Taupō-based comedy series and is being shown at Starlight Cinema on July 19.
David says the entire film is shot in Taupō which is an ideal location.
"First you have the sheer physicality of the place, it's just so beautiful, everywhere you look you have a nice shot. I deliberately try to make my films outdoors because of that, it's a wonderful setting.
"The second [reason Taupō is a great place to film] is more subtle and it is that people are willing to give you a chance, they'll let you have a go. The sense of community here is brilliant.
"An interesting aspect is that it is based on a true story. There was a guy in the second World War, who meets a girl, they fall in love and everything is going great. Then they have a big disagreement about work and they are pushed apart.
"The Taupō fates, who run the world, decide to put things right and bring them back together again. The comedy comes largely from the dialogue - that's what I'm good at.
"Mostly I just want to make people smile, that's why I write films. Hopefully, it is funny and there are some lovely scenes too."
Taupō Love Story is based on real events that happened to a Taupō family. Photo / Supplied
He says this film is his most ambitious yet and has a strong message.
"There is a serious point that it's never too late to try to do something about the mistakes you've made in the past, especially with friends. If you have a friend you really love and it ends badly, that needn't be the end. I think it is quite touching as well as being funny, that's what I was aiming for.
"I've always been someone who loves films and fiction, I'm a published author in other fields - I've had a book of children's poems and a book of short stories published.
"My sister-in-law Rosslyn Abernethy was a remarkably successful film producer, she, unfortunately, died in 2020, but she was a great inspiration and gave me lots of advice. I'd love to show her this one, I really would, she was always very supportive."
David is a power engineer by trade who has also been a writer all his life. He retired to Taupō in 2019. He says the film was supported by Centre Stage Taupō.
He is also grateful for the support of the Taupō District Council, which gave a grant that enabled him to pay the actors a small wage.
