People power has brought a small New Zealand film to Ōamaru.

A group of local music-slash-film fanatics requested the 2024 Head South movie, written and directed by Jonathan Ogilvie, and Riviera Cinema Ōamaru owners Chris and Grace Rottenberry were happy to oblige.

The film will screen on Saturday at 4pm, and next Wednesday (December 11) at 8.10pm.

“With the smaller New Zealand films it's quite easy, because they're independently distributed,” Chris says. “You generally just look up the film, it'll take you to their website and you can just contact them. 

“Unlike the bigger distributors, there's not really many steps involved there. They're just a lot more happy for you to play the film - get it out there, so that's been awesome.” 

Chris says they get requests all the time, and try to accommodate them where they can.

“We've been really versatile since we opened. I think the other week it was, we showed 17 different films in the one week.”

Requests have ranged from a French film, to Maurice and I, a documentary about two New Zealand architects - the most successful New Zealand film they’ve screened. 

“We played that for two months . . . not everyone wants to see the big blockbusters, so it's nice to fill in the gaps.

“It's just, on two screens sometimes that can get a little bit restrictive. You just have to cram.”

Head South is set in 1979 Christchurch and is said to be loosely based on Ogilvie’s life.

The movie centres around teenager Angus who, with his father's support, discovers the underground post-punk music scene in Christchurch and overcomes several obstacles to perform.

Chris says he was “bombarded” with emails from people wanting to see the movie.

Ōamaru resident and music aficionado Fraser Lewry, one of the many who requested the film, says he was keen to see it, because he found it interesting a New Zealand film had been made about the subject and era.

Photo: NZ Film Commission website

“I think it’s an important part of, especially South Island history, that isn’t covered enough.” 

Fraser was born in New Zealand, but also lived in the United Kingdom for more than 40 years.

“I think if you ask a lot of people in the UK what the South Island means to them - it’ll be Lord of the Rings and Flying Nun (Records). 

“I assume it’s all kind of tied together. The fact that Shayne Carter, one of the original Dunedin, Flying Nun crew, is responsible for some of the soundtrack, adds to the appeal,” Fraser says. 

He says it’s great their request for the movie was well-received.

“It’s lovely to know that the proprietors of the Riviera are open to requests from people in town.”

Chris says they’re “always happy to listen”.

“As long as they don't get upset if we can't . . . because we always, we'll try where we can.

“Some films are harder to get than others. And some films can incur a very big fee to try and get them in. So we have to do quite a substantial amount of admissions. So there is that risk as well.”

The Rottenberrys took over the cinema at the end of June, and said the past five months have been “fantastic”.

“Everyone's been really receptive. We've made quite a few little changes, and we have a few more to come. But we're just trying to settle down a little bit as it gets busier, and we'll sort of look things again in the new year.” 

The couple have just come off their busiest week since opening, with Moana 2 opening last week, and Wicked the week before. 

“Moana 2 actually had the biggest opening for an animated film in New Zealand history,” Chris says.

“Which was previously held by Shrek 2. So it's been held for a very long, long time. About 20 years I think.”

Despite it being summer, the holidays are the busiest period of the summer for the cinema. If people want to see a movie, it doesn’t matter the season, he says.

“Mufasa, Sonic 3, and Paddington 3 all come out within a two-week span, which will be the most stacked Christmas period since part of the pandemic.

“It's really exciting. I could talk to you about it all day . . . It's been a long time coming. It's been a bit of a slog the last five years. 

“It's good to see it all starting to catch back up again and people are coming back, which is the most important thing.”

For the adults, Better Man - a Robbie Williams biopic, is out on Boxing Day. 

“And then we have A Real Pain coming out, which is an arthouse film, and it's already started winning awards leading up to the Oscars, so yeah, it's going to be fun to watch. And then the other one would probably be Nosferatu, which is New Year's Day, which is a horror film, and reviews are coming out for that already, and apparently it's exceptional, so, yeah, got a bit of everything.”  

The cinema is closed on Christmas Day, but back open Boxing Day.