In this filmed opera, the true story of iconic author Janet Frame is imbued with an element of fiction. Whilst Frame (Jayne Tankersley) awaits her impending lobotomy, the fictional character of Nurse Baillie (Anna Leese) struggles to perform her professional duties, as Frame was a childhood friend. Director Rebecca Tansley (ballet documentary The Heart Dances, Crossing Rachmaninoff) recreated this acclaimed New Zealand opera on the site of a former mental hospital. The music is performed by the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra. The Strangest of Angels premiered at the 2023 NZ International Film Festival.