May 9, 2019

CENTRAL TO THE SOUL 

World Premiere – Central to the Soul chosen for 14th International Doc Edge Festival  

An Arts On Tour NZ project, the documentary Central to The Soul has been honoured with selection at the 2019 Doc Edge Film Festival. The Festival showcases the best documentaries from New Zealand and the world every year in Auckland and Wellington.

Trailer & book: http://docedge.nz/film/central-to-the-soul/  

Central to The Soul, directed by Bill Morris, is a snapshot of Central Otago today through the eyes of touring artists and residents.  Filmed throughout 2018, it offers a gentle excursion into the heart of a region that has become a poster child for social, economic and environmental change.

“It is an honour to be accepted for the International Doc Edge Festival. Central to the Soul is much more than a music and performance film – it is an exploration of community and its importance to the wellbeing of the people who call this region home,” Arts on Tour General Manager, Steve Thomas says.

The 60-minute film explores the resilient communities of Central Otago, as they enjoy Arts on Tour performances at various venues through the Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes district.

Featuring Hopetoun Brown in Tarras Hall, Adam McGrath in Arrowtown’s Athenaeum Hall, Helen Webby in Coronation Hall Bannockburn, Michael Hurst in the Town Hall Roxburgh, Flora Knight and Sean Donald in Lowburn Hall and Rollicking Entertainment at large, the film looks at how Central Otago communities have adapted to major social, political and geographical changes of the past 50 years. 

From the damming of the Clutha to the influx of viticulture, dairy farming, mass tourism and investment home buying, the socio-economic fabric of the region has been subject to massive upheavals in this time.

An AOTNZ performer says, “I used to turn up in towns thinking I was the most important thing happening that night.  I came to realise I was just a focal point for something much more important – the chance for a community to gather.”

The Arts On Tour NZ project is made with the support of Central Lakes Trust and Otago Community Trust. “It is a real snapshot of our cultural heritage, and showcases the present cultural health and wellbeing of our communities in rural New Zealand,” says Central Lakes Trust Chief Executive, Susan Finlay.

“The Arts on Tour programme provides increased awareness of the arts in small communities and the opportunity to have diverse performers in the local area. We are delighted and look forward to the premiere at the Doc Edge Festival.”

An invitation only screening was held at Wanaka’s Festival of Colour on Sunday 7 April, 3pm, at Cinema Paradiso.