Michael Bennett

Starring one cow and two elderly guitarists, Michael Bennett's first short film Cow was invited to screen at the Cannes Film Festival. Since then he has written and/or directed a wide range of projects, from children's television (Kaitangata Twitch) to award-winning looks at Māori architecture (Whare Māori) and injustice. His big screen work includes ensemble feature Matariki, and the script for Cliff Curtis movie Jubilee. 

In my head, writing and directing are two words for the same thing. As a writer every scene I work on plays as a movie projected inside my head. As a director I love the power of the image, but the most beautiful and perfect image is just pretty candyfloss if it’s not serving the story and the development of the characters. Michael Bennett in an interview with the New Zealand Writers Guild, November 2010