Milk

The cost of milk is priceless in this 2021 short film, written and directed by part-time farmer and Country Calendar veteran Celia Jaspers. It's set in a country town where a young girl (played by Jaspers’ daughter Charlotte) has to choose between spending pocket money on herself, or a bottle of milk for a cash-strapped pensioner. Made in the Wairarapa on the smell of coffee grinds during lockdown — when “be kind” was the mantra — Milk shuns cinema of unease darkness for upbeat, stripped-down storytelling. It scored a run more than 40 awards and nominations at festivals around the globe. 

For zero budget, it has very high production values and I’m forever grateful for all my cast and crew for achieving that. It goes to show how much talent and enthusiasm we have in our domestic film industry.

– Writer/director Celia Jaspers in The Sunday Star-Times, 27 June 2021

Key Cast & Crew

Juanita Deely

Producer

Christy-Anne Sullivan

As: Café worker

Auriga Martin

Producer

Frank Edwards

As: Man

Charlotte Jaspers

As: Girl

Celia Jaspers (née Offwood)

Director, Writer, Editor, Producer