International premiere

This Town

Local title
See linn
Original title
This Town
Director
David White
Country
New Zealand
Year
2020
Programme
Rebels with a Cause Competition

"I did not kill my family members," says Sean in a video clip introducing himself. Five years ago, a small town was shaken by a terrible event, Sean became the main suspect and was arrested. However, he was released due to lack of evidence. Now the young man wants to move on with his life and downloads a dating app, hoping to find a life partner. The trouble is, however, that no one believes Sean, particularly former police investigator Pam who is still looking for evidence which would finally prove that Sean is guilty.

"This Town" is a warm-hearted debut from New Zealand, made in the vein of "The Office" style comedies. This admirable film by David White has been made in such pure style that we could almost believe that the story is real. Good mood guaranteed. In addition to perfectly conveying the dynamics of a small town and its residents, the film also focuses on the media and our seemingly bottomless need for sensational stories.

Liisi Rohumäe

Director
David White
Screenwriter
David White
Cast
Robyn Malcolm, David White, Alice May Connolly, Rima Te Wiata
Producer
Kelly Martin, Aaron Watson, David White
DoP
Adam Luxton
Editor
Francis Glenday, Paul Wedel
Music
Lukasz Buda, Samuel Scott & Conrad Wedde
Production
South Pacific Pictures, White Balance Pictures
Runtime
Language
English
Subtitles
English
Q&A with the filmmaker