Home by Christmas

Film (Trailer) – 2010

Parental Guidance

Home by Christmas sees Gaylene Preston returning to the hidden stories of ordinary New Zealanders. Inspired by attempts to get her father Ed to reveal his WWII experiences, this finely-balanced docu-drama moves between three strands: Preston’s father (Goodbye Pork Pie's Tony Barry, in a Qantas award-winning performance) retelling his story; recreations of Ed’s wartime OE; and life for the woman he left behind in Greymouth. The dream cast sees Preston’s own daughter Chelsie Preston Crayford playing Preston's mother Tui, alongside Martin Henderson.

I was often trying to get my father to tell me about his war. It was Christmas time. Then he agreed to let me record his story. It was his present to me.
– Gaylene Preston

Key Cast & Crew

Tony Barry

As: Older Ed

Chelsie Preston Crayford

As: Tui

Gaylene Preston

Director, Writer, Producer, As: Herself

Sue Rogers

Producer

Jed Brophy

As: Mart Preston

Sophie Hambleton

As: Mavis MacDonald

See all 27 credits

Produced by

Gaylene Preston Productions

Source

New Zealand Film Commission

Acknowledgements

Made in association with Midnight Films, Motion Pictures, the New Zealand Film Commission, NZ On Air and The Wellington Company

Presented with thanks to the New Zealand Film Heritage Trust – Te Puna Ataata

Music

Music composed, recorded and produced by Jan Preston. Song 'I'll Walk Behind You' (heard in trailer) performed by Cherish the Ladies, composed by Alan Murray and Edward Lockton