Chronesthesia

For his first feature film, writer/director Hayden J Weal (Dead) uses chronesthesia (aka mental time travel — the ability to think into the past and future) as fuel for a gentle romantic comedy. Weal plays a young Wellington barista whose routine is disrupted by mysterious messages, dreams and strangers — plus odd coincidences. The cast includes Hunt for the Wilderpeople’s Cohen Holloway, and — as shown in this 'getting to know you' scene — Michelle Ny (Reservoir Hill). Titled Love and Time Travel outside of Aotearoa, Chronesthesia debuted in the Wellington edition of the 2016 NZ Film Festival. 

It was ten times funnier and beautiful than I could’ve imagined. Lyndee-Jane [Rutherford] was hilarious! A director of theatre, she got the vibe of the scene and went to town on it. Me and Simeon [Duncombe, Chronesthesia's cinematographer] watched the footage when we got home and collapsed into tears. Every take is golden.

– Director Hayden J Weale describes how a bad shooting day turned into a good one, on his website

Key Cast & Crew

Julian Dennison

As: Beni

Nova Waretini-Hewison

As: Summer

Cohen Holloway

As: Zach

Simeon Duncombe

Cinematographer, Camera Operator, Lighting, Sound Recordist, Visual Effects, Executive Producer, As: Fisherman

Michelle Ny

As: Sophia Moore

Hayden J Weal

Director, Writer, Editor, Executive Producer, As: Daniel Duncombe