Under the Bridge

Short Film (Full Length) – 2017

With this spare and affecting short film, actor/director Lauren Porteous became the first woman to take the top award at the 48Hours contest (she was also named Best Director). A runaway boy (Kayden Ngapera) crosses paths with a homeless man (Greg Smith, who also produced) under a bridge in Auckland. After the man helps the boy evade a truancy officer, a wary friendship develops. The two have more in common than either will admit. Under the Bridge attracted rave reviews for its masterly treatment of a burning social problem. That year, Porteous made award-winning short film Motel; she followed it with web series Loner.