DVD | In My Father’s Den

I’d have to agree with the critics on this one. It is the best New Zealand film I’ve ever seen.

It’s the story of Paul, a prize winning war journalist who returns to a remote New Zealand town for the funeral of his father. Scared from his life experiences and weary from travelling so much, he doesn’t think much of himself.

But 16 year old Celia sees in him a world that she can escape to. A place to run and seek solace. Of course this relationship can only lead to trouble, and it does.

In My Father’s Den moves at a leisurely pace and is often frustrating. But it is a film that is ultimately rewarding, with an ending that you’ll never see coming.

It’s a movie that shows what it’s like to live in a small town, and the resentment held for those who left and made something of their lives.

It’s about the struggles of finding your own identity, and discovering that who you set out to be isn’t always who you become.

Beautifully filmed and wonderfully acted, this is a movie that will leave a lasting impression.