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Prize-winning TV Series Airs With Music by Farr
May 4th, 2010
Gareth Farr has written the theme and incidental music for Kaitangata Twitch, a new 13-part television series based on the book by internationally celebrated author Margaret Mahy (Hans Christian Anderson Award, 2006). Directed and produced by Yvonne Mackay, the first part of the series debuted on Mäori Television in New Zealand on May 2nd.
The series was adapted to television by writers Gavin Strawhan, Michael Bennett and Briar Grace-Smith, the synopsis of which is as follows:
‘It’s fifty years since Shelly Gentry disappeared
and 50's one of those numbers that seems to mean something.
People celebrate fifty.
Maybe islands do too - so watch out!
In pre-European New Zealand, the tiny Island of Kaitangata was the scene of awful happenings.
After that, the Island seemed to have a life of its own.
It dreamt terrible dreams.
The local tribe knew it was best to leave it alone.
And so the Island slept again.
But now Kaitangata is twitching. It’s moving. It’s waking up!
The last time it moved was over fifty years ago.
It twitched and a girl disappeared without a trace, apparently swallowed up by the Island.
Now it’s moving again.
Dreaming again.
Only 13 year old Meredith can stop it. If she can discover what it wants before it’s too late.
Before it claims another victim.’
- sourced from www.kaitangatatwitch.co.nz
Farr previously worked with producer Mackay in writing the theme and incidental music for the hit television police-drama series Duggan. For Kaitangata Twitch, Farr worked with Richard Nunns, a living expert on traditional Mäori instruments to create hauntingly beautiful music and sound effects depicting ‘the sighs and grumbles of an island possessed.’
Kaitangata Twitch has won a prize at World-fest-Houston, a long-running international film and video festival, and is a finalist in Prix Jeunese 2010, a festival and competition for children’s and youth television programmes, this year being held in Munich, Germany. The series will later be screened by ABC TV Australia.
