Crocodile

 Ahiahi mārie e te whānau o Crocodile.

I am now back in Aotearoa New Zealand, and happy to have launched CROCODILE in such a beautiful way at Berlinale Film Festival - but oh so pleased to be warm again!   The five Nigerians who are the main subjects of the film met me there along with our extraordinary friend and Executive Producer Chelsea Winstanley with her wisdom and her laughter.  As one of the Nigerians, Raymond said "Chelsea, you made it even cooler".

It snowed for most of our Berlin time and that was a shock for all.  How to prepare that biting cold and describe snow to those who've never experienced it before?!? 

All our screenings sold out in 15 minutes of the tickets being released to the public which was crazy, with our World Premiere at the largest cinema in Berlin, and another cinema underground in a former crematorium (!).  The Q&As were emotional, and quite wonderful with standing ovations to kick them off, which was truly humbling.

It was a magical experience - our film was on the cover of a magazine, we  took the opportunity to go to other filmmakers’ films, a lot of talks and galleries, a visit to the NZ Embassy, we announced Sir Idris Elba as another EP, all while introducing the Nigerians to the mad world of international filmmaking and markets, and walking that historical city.

Friends and family came from London and Dublin to help us celebrate - thank you Finn, Dave, Rob, Camille and Nigel - and the film's composer, Tom Third, from Toronto.

Here are a few photos of our 10 days together in Berlin, finishing with a night out 10 Pin Bowling - as the Nigerians said to me, we can go to a film or a party at home, but we can’t go 10 Pin Bowling!  And yes that scoreboard does show I won the first round.... missed my calling?

The reviews are now coming out:  

"Brettkelly manages to transmit their infectious bravado and growing success ... offering a reading of their sci-fi obsession as an escapist search for solace".  Filmmaker Magazine

"There is an urgent, even frenetic tone to much of The Critics’ work. Brettkelly wanted to maintain that energy for the documentary.”  Deadline magazine

"Director Pietra Brettkelly ... convincing plea for the power of imagination and the joy of design. The audience leaves the cinema elated.”  Festival Blog

"Pietra Brettkelly ... freewheeling delve into their world, based on imagination, experimentation and community”Business Doc Europe

"At a time when it seems like technology and global connectivity have only created greater insularity, "Crocodile" demonstrates impressive reach, both in conveying how far stories can travel and how potent creative expression remains in creating community.” Stephen Saito, The Moveable Feast

Ngā mihi nunui ki a koutou katoa!

Ata mārie koutou,

Big news - Crocodile has been selected for Berlinale Film Festival, one of the most prestigious international film festivals!  It will be a fabulous world premiere launch of the film on Friday February 13th, just the day after the film festival launches, in the largest cinema in Berlin and one of the most historic.  We are very excited for this recognition.

I am truly grateful for your generosity and your belief in the film.  So thank you, thank you.

Here I am calling Raymond to wake up the other Nigerians... and the release brainstorming beginning.

We are in the final hours, and thank you all for your support and encouragement. It means so much. In these final hours if there's anyone you feel you can send the link to, we would be so grateful. Kia pai te rā i te ngahuru. Have a lovely autumn day.

Our cameras have just captured the opening of the Nigerians’ exhibition ONE CAN ONLY HOPE AND WONDER at Frankfurt Museum of Modern Art thanks to your fundraising efforts. The five oldest of The Critics, aged 15-22 have been in Frankfurt for six weeks building and then being the stars of the opening night, even Raymond as you see below editing right up until the last minute, sitting in his beautiful mauve suit.  

And a note that we’re now holding smaller fundraising events if any of you know of someone who might be interested…

Again huge thanks to you all, you’re in our hearts.

A few years ago my beautiful mum was knitting a jumper for me. Dad would deliver the updates. "She's building that cobweb for you still", as he walked the phone to where she worked the needles. I could imagine her sitting, with the fine multicoloured wool I'd chosen, the view of te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa at Ōhope for her gaze to drop on as she probably cursed my choice of wool, building the cobweb that would eventually become my jumper.

Oh how I call on my mother's talents in this film cobweb we are currently building. And just like the jumper, it's an extraordinary weave - of life, of culture, of the hope and sometimes despair of these young, of the unbelievable creative minds I get to dive into in this film, of a place so far away from me now but always so close. CROCODILE.

A wee update - we have now been editing for majority of the year, working through the hundreds of hours of footage gathered. We have over 140 scenes cut and are beginning to workshop the knitting of the three main characters and their storylines, and how their short scifi films reflect their lives in this coming-of-age epic.

Your support earlier this year empowered us onwards to get to this stage. And we are eternally grateful.

Enjoy the first dive into the sea or lake or awa on your holiday. And may you find unexpectedly beautiful moments of colour co-ordination like Big Rachael here as she contemplates directing her first film.

xx

Kei Poutū-te-rangi, kia ora koutou.  Wow, it is March with that beautiful red moon and chilly nights.  And we have exciting news to share...

As we continue to traverse the hundreds of hours of filmed footage, we are closer and closer to a cut.  I returned to Nigeria last September (photo below) to show scenes to The Critics, the co-filmmakers and subjects of CROCODILE, and celebrate again this crazy and boundary-pushing collaboration.   It wasn't the most straight forward of journeys to get there this time - five hours in a traffic jam in the countryside, with the Nigerian airforce hovering overhead and people with guns walking car to car checking on the occupants.  One asked me "Has he kidnapped you?" pointing to my driver.  "Not yet," I replied.

In November we were selected for the prestigious IDFA Rough Cut Presentation, out of 170 submissions, at the world's largest documentary film festival and market in Amsterdam (photos below).  Raymond Yusuff, one of The Critics, was able to come with me and, as I said to him, make me cool... but more importantly continuing on our journey of collaboration and inclusion, making our film stand out and be stronger.

And from hundreds of applications, CROCODILE has now been selected for the reputable European workshopping programme Dok Incubator.  It will be three workshops over the coming months, drilling down into the DNA of the film, finding the strongest film and then preparing the release materials to hit press and publicity with on the film's completion.

The workshop organisers have agreed that two members of The Critics can accompany me to Europe with each workshop.  It will be an amazing time of growth, of learning and of continuing to build the spirit of this film that makes me emotional every time I review a cut.

It is I believe a very special film.  I've arrived at a word to describe its tone and look - restless.  I feel this encompasses the unique approach to this coming-of-age story, in the footage, in the pacing of the film's edit, in the sound design I have in mind, and the musical score.   But also the restlessness of The Critics to grab at life, and from me to get it out to you all to view!  I will be celebrating hard when it is finally released, let me tell you.

I remain so grateful to you all, the film's supporters.  Mauri ora.