The festival opened with Moonrise Kingdom... things are a little slow to arrive in New Zealand. It was, honestly, the best movie I've seen in a while. Wes Anderson's highly stylized imagery always manages to stay fresh and interesting, despite being repetitive.
Second was Beasts of the Southern Wild, a climate-change-apocalypse-esque story from the perspective of a sensitive orphan in a small community in Louisiana.
Third was Ai Wei Wei, Never Sorry, a documentary about Chinese artist/activist Ai Wei Wei... if you've never heard of him, google immediately! Profoundly beautiful and moving art made by a man who is so clearly passionate about his countrymen.
Finally, there was Gentlemen Prefer Blondes featuring Marilyn Monroe's iconic "Diamonds are a girls best friend" number. Such a spectacularly campy film, a vintage lovers paradise! My favourite part of ushering this film was the group of ladies in the audience who got dressed up in vintage ball gowns, gloves, and hats and sang along! Best idea ever!
Catch these films if you can!
