A MEMOIR FOR FALLING LIGHT

Kia orana kotou katoatoa! My name is Robert George, and I'm a film maker.

I am making a unique type of film for a major solo exhibition - a five screen video installation for Te Uru Waitakere Contemporary Gallery, a public gallery in Titirangi, Auckland. This film has been a long time in the planning. I want to do a project that helps me explore my own personal experiences of dealing with losing someone very close to me. It has been a challenging process, both creatively and emotionally, but it is one that I feel is important to make.

The film format itself is also an ambitious new direction for me, in that it uses five different channels to present multiple perspectives of the same events unfolding at the same time. It's about trying new methods of film making that could incorporate understandings of death that come from my Cook Island heritage, where things are not always as they seem and multiple times and worlds can co-exist in any given moment. Our perspective is important, and as a film maker, it's important for me to try to learn how to tell that story by pushing and testing the language of film.

There's a team of talented and creative people who are working together with me on this project, from musicians to coffee makers to actors and computer builders.

Filming commenced this week, and I'm in need of a little bit more assistance to help me finish the project.

I'm seeking funds to help cover the post-production costs of filming, from colour grading to sound mixing and editing. If we exceed our Boosted target, we'll also be able to upgrade the equipment we use to work with sound, lighting and synching.

As I progress through the different stages of this project I will bring you updates so you can see how the film is taking shape. Once the film is finished I would like to invite all of you to come and experience this unique cinematic experience.

Meitaki ma'ata e kia manuia!

Robert George

About me: Robert is of Ngāti Kuki Airani (Rarotonga & Atiu) and Te Arawa heritage. Originally studying Fine Arts and Design, Robert gained a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Sociology at Victoria University Wellington. On entering the film industry, Robert cut his teeth at post-production houses in Wellington. He has been working within the Film & Television industry for over fifteen years. Robert now lives and works in Auckland, as a practicing filmmaker. In 2016 Robert won the Emerging Māori Director award for his film Smiths Ave at Wairoa Māori Film Festival. Smiths Ave also played at the New Zealand International Film Festival last year, as part of the Ngā Whanaunga Māori Pasifika programme. Robert is also about to become a father for the first time in September this year.

http://www.robertgeorge.co.nz