Hamish Bennett, Director of Ross & Beth: 2014 Heartland Film Festival Interview

Hamish Bennett is a New Zealand-based filmmaker of Maori descent (Te Arawa, Ngapuhi, Kai Tahu) and a full-time school teacher. He was raised in the rural Northland setting that his first two short films (The Dump and Ross & Beth) are set in. His first film THE DUMP won The NZ Writers Guild Award for Best Short Film Script in 2012. The finished film featured in numerous festivals around the world including Palm Springs, Dallas and Brisbane and continues to be screened at film festivals around the country. Ross & Beth was funded by the New Zealand Film Commission’s Fresh Shorts scheme, shot in July 2013 and completed in February 2014. Hamish is currently developing the feature film Expat with seed funding from The NZ Film Commission.

HFF: What is your film about, and how did the project come to be?

HB: Ross & Beth is a story about a humble farming couple, a sudden upheaval and an unlikely savior. I grew up in a tiny little rural community called Tauraroa in Northland, New Zealand, and I based the script on the farming couple who lived across the road from us. They’re great people – humble, funny, hard-working, gruff, stuck in their ways – fairly typical traits of many older rural couples in NZ (and maybe Indiana?). You don’t see many outward displays of affection or emotion, but this can’t be mistaken for not caring. It’s very much the opposite. The love, the loyalty, the reliance – it can all be found in the little moments, buried under the layers of cheeky banter and cow shit. This film is an ode to these people and this way of life.

HFF: What was your role in the production?

HB: I wrote and directed the film. All of the tough technical stuff I left up to the experts!

HFF: Why did you submit to the Heartland Film Festival? Have you been to the Festival before?

HB: I haven’t been to the festival before, and didn’t know a lot about it before submitting. The thing that grabbed me first of all was the name – Heartland. It’s a name that has very rural connotations in New Zealand, and obviously our film is a very rural story, so I thought there was a nice link there. And after doing a bit of googling I discovered how well regarded and established the festival is – it just made sense to submit!

HFF: This year’s tagline is “Shift Your Perspective” – what lasting effect will your film have on moviegoers?

HB: “Ross & Beth” is a subtle, understated story, but I think it has a strong emotional impact. Hopefully, it will leave audiences moved, hopeful and maybe even keen to see it again!

HFF: What has inspired you to become a filmmaker?

HB: Just having the opportunity to share the kinds of stories that I care about with other people.

HFF: What is something that you know about film making now but you weren’t told when you started your career?

HB: It’s such a collaborative effort. As much as a director steers things towards an end goal, that direction is very much influenced by the creativity and skill of all the people around you. Film making is a team sport!

HFF: What are some of your favorite movies? What’s your favorite worst movie (you know it’s bad, but still love it)?

HB: Off the top of my head – The Station Agent, Dazed and Confused, Boy (NZ movie), another new NZ movie called The Dark Horse is really amazing . . . Anything that is character driven, has some humor and a good heart will usually get my attention! And the original Karate Kid is still awesome.

HFF: How many film festivals has your film been a part of? What do you like the most about the festival experience?

HB: “Ross & Beth” had its world premiere in July at the New Zealand International Film Festival where we won the Jury Prize for Best Short Film, the Audience Award and the Cinematography Award; and in August it screened at the Melbourne International Film Festival. Being able to share your film with audiences is a privilege that I’ll never take for granted. Just having people reacting positively to stuff you’ve made . . . it’s an amazing experience!

HFF: Heartland Film Festival moviegoers love filmmaker Q&As. Let’s say a Festival attendee wants to earn some brownie points—what is a question that you’d love to answer, but haven’t yet been asked?

HB: I’m proud of the little details that we included in Ross & Beth. They’re not things that will affect your understanding of the film if you miss them, but I do think they add to the story in their own little ways! So, without giving too much away, a cool question would be “what was the significance of the bird calls on the radio each morning?”

See Ross & Beth in Shorts Program 3: The Many Faces of Love at the 2014 Heartland Film Festival: