WASHINGTON FILM INSTITUTE
cordially invites you to get in the Halloween Spirit at a NEW ZEALAND FILM NIGHT featuring the Scarily Funny Film:
WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS
THURSDAY 27 OCTOBER
DARLINGTON HOUSE LIBRARY (3F)
1610 20th St NW, Washington, DC 20009 / MAP
WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS
96 minutes / Directors: Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi, Writers: Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi, Stars: Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi, Cori Gonzalez-Macuer
WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS chronicles the adventures of four vampire roommates trying to get by in a modern world that’s not always hospitable to the undead. Clement and Waititi, creators of the HBO hit series “Flight of the Conchords,” co-wrote, co-directed, and co-star in this hilarious send-up in which an endearingly unhip quartet of friends reveal to us or, rather, to the documentary crew that’s filming them, the details of their daily-make that nightly-routine. Ranging in age from 183 to 8,000, and in appearance from adorably youthful to Nosferatu-crusty, they squabble over household chores, struggle to keep up….
REVIEWS
“If Twilight made you queasy and Dark Shadows felt like a missed opportunity, this pitch-perfect genre spoof is worth relishing.” – Claudia Puig, USA Today
“The New Zealand-made art comedy What We Do in the Shadows is a bracing reminder of how the right burst of energy and style breathes fresh ideas into a genre threatened with creative exhaustion.hot and beautifully performed, cuts its storybook tone with starker, more brutal truths.” – Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Sun-Times
6:30 – 11:00PM
HAPPY HOUR and/or DINNER
Free, but RSVP Required
Cash Bar
6:45 PM First Show
8:30PM Second Show
Tickets $13 Advance / $15 at Door
Space Very Limited / Advance Ticket Recommended
ABOUT JERMAINE AND TAIKA
Jemaine Clement was born and raised in New Zealand, the oldest of three brothers. His mother is a Maori. Clement was educated at Makoura College in Masterton, NZ. He went on to study drama and film at Victoria University of Wellington. Whilst there he met Taika Waititi, and they formed comedy troupes So You’re a Man and The Humourbeasts. The Humourbeasts proved popular in New Zealand, touring extensively.
Clement also met Bret McKenzie at Victoria University, and they formed musical-comedy duo Flight of the Conchords. Flight of the Conchords went on to have considerable international success including tours, radio shows and TV spots, culminating in the well-received series Flight of the Conchords (2007). Clement was nominated for an Emmy for his performance in the show.
Film roles followed, including playing Jarrod in Taika Waititi’s Eagle vs Shark (2007), Chevalier in Gentlemen Broncos (2009), Kieran in Dinner for Schmucks (2010) and Boris The Animal in the hit sequel Men in Black 3 (2012).
Taika Waititi, also known as Taika Cohen, hails from the Raukokore region of the East Coast, and is of Te-Whanau-a-Apanui (father) and Jewish (mother) descent. He has been involved in the film industry for several years, initially as an actor, and now focusing on writing and directing.
Two Cars, One Night was Taika’s first professional film-making effort and since its completion in 2003 he has finished another short “Tama Tu” about a group of Maori Soldiers in Italy during World War 2.
As a performer and comedian, Taika has been involved in some of the most innovative and successful original productions seen in New Zealand. He regularly does standup gigs in and around the country and in 2004 launched his solo production, “Taika’s Incredible Show”. In 2005 he staged the sequel, “Taika’s Incrediblerer Show”. As an actor, Taika has been critically acclaimed for both his Comedic and Dramatic abilities. In 2000 he was nominated for Best Actor at the Nokia Film Awards for his role in the Sarkies Brother’s film “Scarfies”.
Taika is also an experienced painter and photographer, having exhibited both mediums in Wellington and Berlin, and a fashion designer. He attended the Sundance Writers Lab with “Choice”, a feature loosely based on “Two Cars, One Night”.