I have been talking to some music producers who are as excited about Nikki Te Ataarangi Brand's song for Hīkoi as I am myself.
The song is powerful and evocative, exactly matching the mood of the film. Last year we shot a thought provoking music video, featuring Nikki playing a street musician, seeing life in the raw through her eyes as she earns a meagre existence as a busker.
When I showed a rough cut of the footage to the music executives, they were so impressed by the impact of the song and the images that they have urged me to develop the project further and reshoot in 4K. It has been tremendous to get such positive feedback from those in the industry, and I appreciate their confidence that we have a potential award winner.
I am now looking forward to returning to Taranaki this Winter for another fantastic shoot with Nikki and The Descendants and our child stars. I am convinced that we will create something exceptional.
Nikki's song speaks eloquently for the underprivileged of our world. I hope my film will prove equally inspiring.