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Synopsis

A State of Siege is the story of a retired art teacher dealing with isolation and loneliness, culminating in a stormy, terrifying night. Vincent Ward's acclaimed short — adapted from a Janet Frame novel — was made when he was at Ilam art school. The Evening Post called the taut tale "the most sensitive and intelligent film that has ever been made in New Zealand". San Francisco Chronicle praised: "Ward creates more horror in this low budget movie with his play of light and shadow than Stanley Kubrick was able to create in the whole of The Shining."

Credits (12)

 Vincent Ward
 Tim White

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Comments (2)

 Paul Ward

Paul Ward | website

@Judy: we screened the film in full for a limited time as part of our Janet Frame Collection, but then had to revert to an excerpt as part of our license agreement. You could try contacting Vincent directly at his website (let him know you came via NZ On Screen!): http://vincentwardfilms.com/vw/contact/general-enquiries/

 Judy Spencer

Judy Spencer

I don't think I drew breath for the whole of the scene from A State of Siege. I read Janet Frame's book some years ago and that was nervewracking enough but Ward has snuck right inside Frame's character.

How do I see the whole of the film?

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Collections.   See all collections ›  

Included in:

 The Janet Frame Collection
 NZ Book Month Collection

ScreenTalk.  See all interviews › 

Related interviews:

 Interview with Vincent Ward

Vincent Ward is one of our most acclaimed movie directors. His films have regularly won praise overseas for their originality, atmosphere and imagery. In this interview with Clare O'Leary, Vincent talks about his career...

Quotes

Internationally-acclaimed film A State of Siege is a taut and sensitive treatment of an aging spinster’s retreat into isolation, memory and madness. 
Stunning … Rigourously constructed with one exquisitely composed image following another … film becomes poetry. 

Awards

1978 Chicago Film Festival
Golden Hugo (best short film)

1978 Miami Film Festival
Special Jury Prize