The Inland Road

The first feature from Jackie van Beek was born from the idea of three very different people in a house, after a crisis. The central character is teen runaway Tia, who after a car crash moves in with a family who are connected to the accident. To find their lead actor — newcomer Gloria Popata — writer/director van Beek and casting director Yvette Reid did an epic casting call across Aotearoa. Reid auditioned 340 people. Van Beek is best known as an actor herself, often in comic roles. She directed seven shorts, before The Inland Road was invited to debut at the Berlin Film Festival.

...the sensitively observed drama is shot through with kindness, compassion and compelling stillness, viewing even the most thoughtless actions and thorny behavior in an understanding light that adds resonant emotional depths to the open-ended payoff.

– David Rooney, in a Hollywood Reporter review, 16 February 2017

Key Cast & Crew

Chelsie Florence

As: Donna

Gloria Popata

As: Tia

Jackie van Beek

Writer, Director

Aaron Watson

Producer

Georgia Spillane

As: Lily

David Elliot

As: Will