The movie
Head South
Ogilvie’s semi-autobiographical ode to a post-punk subculture. Its sun-dappled visual style gives way to razor-sharp insights, doleful details and ghostly premonitions. For Angus and others, chasing unearned grit serves as distraction from what’s happening at home
Length: 98 min
Country: Nieuw-Zeeland
Language spoken: Engels
Language subtitles: Nederlands
Cast: Ed Oxenbould, Benee, Roxie Mohebbi, Márton Csókás
Director: Jonathan Ogilvie
Release date: 2024-07-25
Description
A private schoolboy becomes enamoured with all things post-punk in this spirited coming-of-age comedy with a sting in its tail. Following on from his thriller Lone Wolf (2021), which premiered at IFFR, Jonathan Ogilvie’s fourth feature captures a vivid snapshot of growing up in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 1979. Teenage Angus is wide-eyed and self-conscious: of his class privilege, his long hair and, especially, his ignorance about music. Desperate to fit in and find his place in the world, Angus’ well-intentioned bullshitting begins to alienate his true friends, snowballing until he’s cornered into performing with a band that doesn’t exist – yet
