Play For Me

The story takes place over one night. An anti-war activist group protests outside the parliament building where Rose, the pianist and leader of the movement is set to perform later that night for the president. Blinded by anger and power, Rose causes a divide within the group, that is pushed further after the death of a member. In the end Rose must decide what matters most for herself, her friends, and the people.

Inspired by archival protest footage, Play For Me is a dystopian noir film.

Play For Me is created by a team of passionate third year screen arts students studying at the Massey University of Wellington. Our team comprises of: 

Nisha Van Dijk | Writer, Director & Composer | Pieces of Evelyn, 2025

Karohamea Huck | Producer | Tinseltown in Time, 2025 

Katy Comar | Director of Cinematography | The Extra Shot, 2025

Amelie Boyle | Asistant Director | Skin & Blister, 2025

and a further 20+ crew who's expertise range from lighting, sound and production design! 

The funds raised for this project will go a long way in supporting our hard working crew. Most significantly this will include: 

• Catering : Maintaining a well fed team of creatives  is a priority of ours.  We understand the physical toll that  consecutive 10 hour days of filming can have and we'd like to show our appreciation to the crew with a nutritious meal each day, as well as a craftie service throughout.
• Production Design : Due to the films highly stylised 1940s noir aesthetic, our art department will be working hard to create/ source the necessary costumes and props needed for the film. We'd like to fund their craft and give them the financial freedom to make this film as visually immersive as it can be.  
• Location fees : Our film is rich in locations, traversing across seven different ones. While we are fortunate that the majority of these locations are free, our most important location comes with a fee.
• Transportation : To move equipment and crew to the designated shooting locations

We are doing this project to create opportunities for diverse female characters in the film space. A beautifully stylized form of filmmaking, Noir began around the 1940s and has since had a reprise every few decades. Our team all love the look and feel of noir and are so passionate to begin this story to life, but we also wanted to challenge the genres lack of diverse female characters. By bringing in more female leading roles and a musical context, we add our own personal touch not only to the story, but to the genre. The film will also feature original music pieces written by the director that are key to the plot. 

This film will bring impact by giving more women unique voices and characters in a genre that typically does not represent or treat women well. Themes of friendship, love, and moral conflict are relevant to the modern world in light of social media fast tracking the dark news that happens everyday across the world. This film will inspire people to find peace and recognize the good that surrounds them, while also advocating for the bad things they might see.