About
Eleven-year old Toss (Fiona Kay) lives on a remote farm. When her father dies in an accident, bearded stranger Ethan (Frank Whitten) arrives on the farm. Toss fears him and is confused when he and her mother become lovers. But it's through Ethan that Toss comes to terms with her father’s death, and the first stirrings of womanhood. Vincent Ward’s multi award-winning debut feature was the first New Zealand film invited to compete at the Cannes Film Festival. LA Times writer Kevin Thomas was among many critics to praise it; he called Vigil "a work of awesome beauty".
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Kindly provided by Onfilm
Frank Whitten as Ethan and Fiona Kay as Toss in a scene from Vigil.
Photographer: Miles Hargest. Kindly provided by Onfilm.
A contraption comes to life; Australian actor Bill Kerr as Toss's grandfather Birdie, in a scene from Vigil.
Photographer: Miles Hargest.
Director Vincent Ward (right) and focus puller Rick Allender on location at a North Taranaki farm while filming Vigil.
Kindly provided by Onfilm.
Frank Whitten as Ethan and Penelope Stewart as Elizabeth in a scene from Vigil.
Kindly provided by Onfilm.
Editing Vigil: director Vincent Ward, editor Simon Reece and assistant editor Prue Burch (now better known as mindfulness expert Vidyamala Birch).
Kindly provided by Onfilm
