June 1, 2: Movies – WOMAN AT WAR, THE CHILLS and MERATA

The three films screening at the Old School Arts Centre are:
WOMAN AT WAR (PG) – Saturday 1st June 6.00pm and special pop-up screening Sunday 2nd June 7.00pm
THE CHILLS (M) – Saturday 1st June 8.30pm
MERATA (Exempt) – Sunday 2nd June 4.30pm

(Scroll down for more info on movies).

Prices are: Adults $15, Concession $12, Children $8.

Book online: raglanmovies.nz, or door sales if any left from 30 mins before session times.


NZ Herald “Woman at War is delightfully odd… Frequently hilarious… Never loses sight of what is at stake” 

Waikato Times 4.5/5 Stars “A warm, witty, wise and absolutely endearing movie”.

NZIFF Official Selection

RAGLAN MOVIES at the OLD SCHOOL, 5 Stewart Street, Raglan

WOMAN AT WAR 101 mins (PG)

Icelandic with English subtitles

Saturday 1st June 6.00pm

Sunday 2nd June 7.00pm

Book online: raglanmovies.nz, call into the Old School office Mon-Fri 10am to 2pm.

Door sales from 30 mins before session times.

Licensed bar & homemade snacks on sale at all screenings.

Adults $15, Concession $12, RCAC Members $12, Children $8.
The reduced concession rate is for $12 concession (student, seniors or CS cards).

Halla is a fifty-year-old independent Icelandic woman. But behind the scenes of a quiet routine, she leads a double life as a passionate environmental activist. Known to others only by her alias “The Woman of the Mountain,” Halla secretly wages a one-woman-war on the local aluminium industry.

As Halla’s actions grow bolder, from petty vandalism to outright industrial sabotage, she succeeds in pausing the negotiations between the Icelandic government and the corporation building a new aluminium smelter. But right as she begins planning her biggest and boldest operation yet, she receives an unexpected letter that changes everything. Her application to adopt a child has finally been accepted and there is a little girl waiting for her in Ukraine. As Halla prepares to abandon her role as saboteur and saviour of the Highlands to fulfill her dream of becoming a mother, she decides to plot one final attack to deal the aluminium industry a crippling blow.

Woman at War, the newest offering from Icelandic auteur Benedikt Erlingsson (Of Horses and Men), is a quirky, heroic tale set in our world of imminent threat. A serious fairy tale told with a smile.

Directed by Benedikt Erlingsson (‘Of Horses and Men’)

Starring Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir, Jóhann Sigurðarson, Juan Camillo Roman Estrada, Jörundur Ragnarsson, Vala Kristin Eiriksdottir, Haraldur Stefansson.


Dominion 4/5 Stars “Merata is a fitting tribute to a revolutionary New Zealand film-maker”

NZIFF Official Selection

RAGLAN MOVIES at the OLD SCHOOL, 5 Stewart Street, Raglan

MERATA: How Mum Decolonised the Screen 95 mins Doc. exempt

Sunday 2nd June 4.30pm
Sunday 16th June 7.00pm

Book online: raglanmovies.nz, call into the Old School office Mon-Fri 10am to 2pm.

Door sales from 30 mins before session times.

Licensed bar & homemade snacks on sale at all screenings.

Adults $15, Concession $12, RCAC Members $12, Children $8.
The reduced concession rate is for $12 concession (student, seniors or CS cards).

This film is an intimate story of the birth of indigenous cinema told from the perspective of Merata’s son Hepi Mita. The sudden death of pioneering Māori filmmaker Merata Mita in 2010 led her son on a journey to uncover a story of a mother’s love that changed the landscape of indigenous participation in film forever. As a film archivist Hepi uncovers never before seen footage and shares deep personal accounts of her life that led her to blaze the trail for many indigenous voices we celebrate today; Warwick Thornton, Taika Waititi, Sterlin Harjo and Zoe Hopkins to name a few.

Never before seen footage from Merata Mita

This film is an important historical account of a movement we owe our indigenous voice to. Merata was the first Māori woman to write and direct a narrative feature in 1988 titled MAURI. Merata’s political films highlighted the injustices for Māori people during the 1980’s and often divided the country.

She became an international hero with her work but considered a domestic nuisance. Merata worked across the globe and for various respected organisations including the BBC and National Geographic. She directed on Hollywood sets, interviewed Robert Mugabe and followed Louis Farakhan, there was nothing she was afraid of especially if it meant a voice for the voiceless. She was fearless. But the suffering of her family during these times was all too real. Her drive for social justice would have to be weighed against the dangers her work would expose them to. Merata Mita is the grandmother of Indigenous Cinema. This film is a dedication to her life’s work towards that goal.

Directed by Heperi Mita (feature debut)

Starring Merata Mita, Rafer Rautjoki, Richard Rautjoki, Rhys Rautjoki, Awatea Mita

Documentary, Festival & Independent | 95 mins Exempt | English and Māori with English subtitles | New Zealand


NZ Herald 4/5 Stars “The Chills is a story of a musical genius, honest and insightful and beautifully told, and rounded off with stunning images of the local landscape. If you’re a fan of The Chills you’ll enjoy this jaunt down memory lane, for others, it’s both cautionary tale and great story.”

RAGLAN MOVIES at the OLD SCHOOL, 5 Stewart Street, Raglan

The Chills: The Triumph & Tragedy of Martin Phillipps 95 mins (M)

Saturday 1st June 8.30pm
Sunday 15th June 6.00pm
Sunday 7th July 4.30pm

Book online: raglanmovies.nz, call into the Old School office Mon-Fri 10am to 2pm.

Door sales from 30 mins before session times.

Licensed bar & homemade snacks on sale at all screenings.

Adults $15, Concession $12, RCAC Members $12, Children $8.
The reduced concession rate is for $12 concession (student, seniors or CS cards).

Martin Phillipps came tantalizingly close to conquering the international musical world with his band The Chills, but instead fell into decades of debt and addiction in his hometown of Dunedin, New Zealand. At 54, he’s been given a dire medical prognosis, forcing him to face his demons and realise his musical ambitions before it’s too late.

This intimate portrait follows the eccentric Martin as he reconciles a lifetime’s worth of curious collections, looks back on a catalogue of heavenly pop hits and reclaims his place in the iconic Flying Nun and Dunedin sound. With a startling sense of humour even in the blackest moments, we bear witness to one man’s universal battle with the fear of failure and the jarring reality of his own mortality.

Listen to the rock music that personifies 1980s New Zealand, when people loved their leather jackets and lived through the doldrums. Discover one of New Zealand’s most important songwriters and the groundbreaking era that changed the way the world appreciated New Zealand music.

Dominion 3.5/5 Stars “a respectful and insightful trip through the highs and considerable lows of life in the underfunded, underground New Zealand music scene.”

Directed by Julia Parnell (‘Wilbur: The King in the Ring’), Rob Curry (‘The Boat People’, ‘The Ballad of Shirley Collins’)

Documentary, Music, Festival & Independent|  95 mins M Offensive language & drug references | New Zealand

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