James & Isey

Idiosyncratic director Florian Habicht returned to his early home turf of Northland for a documentary about a mother and son. As with his earlier films Kaikohe Demolition and Land of the Long White Cloud, Habicht set out to uncover the character and spirit of locals leading seemingly unremarkable lives. James & Isey is set in the town of Kawakawa, where irrepressible kuia Isey Cross lives with her devoted son James. Habicht encounters the pair in the lead-up to Isey's 100th birthday. Isey explains her worldview and James reveals the spiritual preparations he has made leading up to the milestone celebration.