‘Head South’ paints a true picture of the punk era

South direction Written by director Jonathan Ogilvy, this is a beautiful and autobiographical punk-teen film set in New Zealand in 1979. How to grow up: do you decide for yourself or does life do it for you?

As a teenager you want to be somewhere, but most of all, you want to be taken seriously. Especially by the ones you love to own. Then cold is capital and status is profit. But what if you’re not cool? Then you play it cool, for example pretending to be a musician. That is the main character of Angus Age comes Movie South directionConclusion

It was 1979 and English post-punk reached Christchurch, the largest city on New Zealand’s South Island (the size of Utrecht). albeit through import tanks. For local people scenes London mecca, hip record store still known as Middle Earth, very prog rock. There, Angus (played by Ed Oxenbold) has an epiphany. He gets his first single from his elder brother from London General picture Johnny Rotten’s new group is Public Image Ltd. Sent. It sets up his transformation from a ditzy follower cool dude entrance.

It’s no coincidence that director and screenwriter Jonathan Ogilvie drives the story with that song. Film, posing, and pretending to be someone you’re not are central South direction. Everyone plays a role, some choose that role. Gutsy Angus shows up at a record store, and the singer of local punk band The Cursed asks him for a favor. But Angus can’t play, no instrument, no songs, no band. Quite a band name, the Daleks.

How does he save face and his face? Cold? Fortunately, aspiring art student Kirsten (played by New Zealand singer-songwriter Stella Bennett aka Benny) works at a drugstore and owns a guitar. and an organ with a rhythm box, Zachary. And a notebook full of poems.

South direction Totally authentic pictures of the period. Angus rides a Solex in school uniform, an uber-frumpy Dutch-made moped. Kirsten’s ugly brother plays Bang, one of the first video games. The image can be properly dated, representing the November 26, 1979 crash of Air New Zealand Flight 901 on Mount Erebus in Antarctica.

The subculture of the time was deeply influenced, the competitive nature of the music world was real, and posers set the tone. The musical details are also spot on: references to hip bands in London and the first punk compilation album Roxy London WC2Magazine, Wire and a soundtrack featuring New Zealand new wave acts Toy Love, Marching Girls and YFC – all of which Mark it. The subculture of the record store is as fascinating as it is portrayed High fidelity2000 film based on the book of the same name by Nick Hornby.

Angus’s spiritual awakening is beautifully visualized with a figurative trick. South direction Opening in the classic 4:3 aspect ratio (TV of yesteryear), Angus’ close-up switches to 16:9, a common widescreen today. It marks the moment when Angus’s mind opens and his world expands. And strike: the music wakes him up.

This witty and charming film has many surreal moments and a twist that is hard to put down. The actual details have already suggested and the end credits make clear: South direction It is autobiographical. So all ironies have a darker source.

HEAD SOUTH (Pink Moon) hits theaters on July 25.