Writing music is Ken Young’s "bread and butter".
So having one of his operas picked up by a film-maker and turned into a movie, has created a completely new menu for the Dunedin composer’s work.
His opera The Strangest of Angels will premiere at the New Zealand International Film Festival in Dunedin on August 3.
Both the opera and the film are a poignant and imaginative reflection on events during Janet Frame’s time at Seacliff Mental Hospital, and is a harrowing and hopeful experience that throws light on mental health, then and now.
The opera was commissioned by Dunedin soprano Anna Leese, and written during Young’s time as Mozart Fellow at the University of Otago in 2020 and 2021.
It explores the contrast between a calm, rational Frame (played by soprano Jayne Tankersley) and a fictional traumatised nurse Katherine Baillie (played by Leese) who is torn between empathy and the relative power of institutional duty.
Young said the nature of mental health, both then and now, was a very strong and important topic he, libretto-writer Georgia Jamieson Emms and the performers wanted to draw attention to.
The world premiere of the opera was performed to two sold-out audiences in Christchurch and Dunedin in October last year.
Since then, New Zealand Opera and Minerva Productions have turned it into a film, directed by Rebecca Tansley, starring Leese as nurse Baillie and Tankersley as Janet Frame.
Young said that initially, he had reservations about how his opera would translate into film, but he was delighted with the finished product.
It was filmed at an old, disused psychiatric hospital south of Auckland.
"Rebecca Tansley was very good. She attended all the rehearsals and collaborated with us beautifully.
"So I’m pleased as punch — chuffed as hell.
"It’s very affecting and very moving.
"I’m very curious to see what audiences think of it."
He said he never dreamed one of his operas would end up becoming a film.
"Never. It wasn’t until they confirmed there was a budget set aside to make a movie of it, I thought ‘gosh’.
"I’ve never had something like this in which so many people are working towards the production of a version of a piece that I’ve written.
"That’s quite humbling."
It is one of nine films to have their world premieres at the New Zealand International Film Festival this year.
As well as Dunedin on August 3, the festival will be screening The Strangest of Angels in Auckland (July 19), Wellington (July 27) and Christchurch (August 10).
