Vincent Ward (director)
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Vincent Ward (born 16 February 1956) is a New Zealand film director, screenwriter and artist. His films have received international recognition at both the
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and the
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.


Life and career

Vincent Ward was born on 16 February 1956 near
Greytown, New Zealand Greytown ( mi, Te Hūpēnui), population 2,202 (at the 2013 Census), is a rural town in the centre of the Wairarapa region of New Zealand, in the lower North Island. It is 80 km north-east of Wellington and 25 kilometres southwest of Mas ...
. He attended
Ilam School of Fine Arts The Ilam School of Fine Arts at the University of Canterbury was founded in 1882 as the Canterbury College School of Art. The school became a full department of the university in the 1950s, and was the first department to move to the suburban Ila ...
at the
University of Canterbury The University of Canterbury ( mi, Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha; postnominal abbreviation ''Cantuar.'' or ''Cant.'' for ''Cantuariensis'', the Latin name for Canterbury) is a public research university based in Christchurch, New Zealand. It was ...
in
Christchurch, New Zealand Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...
where he received a Diploma in Fine Arts (with Honours) in 1981. In 2014 the University of Canterbury awarded him an Honorary Doctorate in Fine Arts and an adjunct professorship. In 1978, at the age of 21, he shot ''A State of Siege'', his debut short-feature film, which adapted a novel by
Janet Frame Janet Paterson Frame (28 August 1924 – 29 January 2004) was a New Zealand author. She was internationally renowned for her work, which included novels, short stories, poetry, juvenile fiction, and an autobiography, and received numerous awar ...
. It was released theatrically and reviewed by The Los Angeles Times who described it as, ‘Rigorously constructed with one exquisitely composed image following another ... film becomes poetry’. The film won a Special Jury Prize at the Miami Film Festival 1978 and a Golden Hugo Award at the Chicago Film Festival that same year. In 1978–81, Ward lived in remote
Te Urewera Te Urewera is an area of mostly forested, sparsely populated rugged hill country in the North Island of New Zealand, a large part of which is within a protected area designated in 2014, that was formerly Te Urewera National Park. Te Urewera is t ...
with a Tūhoe woman named Puhi and her adult schizophrenic son Niki. He made a documentary about them called ''In Spring One Plants Alone'', which won the 1982 Grand Prix at
Cinéma du Réel Cinéma du Réel (Cinema of the Real) is an international documentary film festival organized by the BPI-Bibliothèque publique d'information (Public Information Library) in Paris and was founded in 1978. The festival presents about 200 films per ye ...
(Paris), and a Silver Hugo at the Chicago Film Festival. Ward's next three films, ''Vigil'' (1984), '' The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey'' (1988) and ''
Map of the Human Heart ''Map of the Human Heart'' (also called ''Carte du Tendre'' and ''La Carte du Tendre''; released in the Philippines as ''War Dragon'') is a 1992 film by New Zealand director Vincent Ward. The script for ''Map of the Human Heart'' was written by ...
'' (1993) were the first films by a New Zealander to be officially selected ‘in competition’ at the
Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films o ...
. Between them they garnered close to 30 national and international awards (including the Grand Prix at festivals in Italy, Spain, Germany, France and the United States). ''Vigil'' (1984), follows an imaginative, solitary child living on a remote farm and is partly inspired by Ward's own rural upbringing in the Wairarapa. It was produced by John Maynard and shot in
Taranaki Taranaki is a region in the west of New Zealand's North Island. It is named after its main geographical feature, the stratovolcano of Mount Taranaki, also known as Mount Egmont. The main centre is the city of New Plymouth. The New Plymouth Dist ...
. A child actor (Fiona Kay) played the central role. Ward's second feature, a fantasy-adventure film, '' The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey'' (1988), was inspired by an experience he had in Germany. He recounts attempting to cross the autobahn on foot and ending up dodging traffic. The experience made such an impression on him, it was the key image that sparked the idea for the film. The Navigator follows a group of 14th-century Cumbrian villagers who tunnel through the earth, and find themselves in modern-day Auckland. Ward says “what I wanted to do was look at the 20th Century through medieval eyes, its as if the demons of our contemporary world, our technological monsters of destruction, could be foreseen in the nightmares of medieval men”.
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's review hailed it as “A visionary film of rare courage and imperishable heart.” The film won the Grand Prix at four film festivals including; Sitges Film Festival, Fanta Film Festival, and Oporto Film Festival 1998/89. And took home Best Film and Best Director at both the Australian and New Zealand film industry awards in 1989. In 1990, Ward wrote the story for ''
Alien 3 ''Alien 3'' (stylized as ''A''LIEN³) is a 1992 American science fiction horror film directed by David Fincher and written by David Giler, Walter Hill, and Larry Ferguson, from a story by Vincent Ward. It stars Sigourney Weaver, reprising her r ...
'', a proposed sequel to the film ''
Aliens Alien primarily refers to: * Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country ** Enemy alien, the above in times of war * Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth ** Specifically, intelligent extrate ...
''; Ward received a ‘story by’ credit on the final film. The heart of his original script, known as ‘the monks in space’ version, was however not captured in the final film and has since been recognised by the London Times Online, who in 2008 gave it the top spot on their list of 'greatest sci-fi movies never made’. Ward's next film ''
Map of the Human Heart ''Map of the Human Heart'' (also called ''Carte du Tendre'' and ''La Carte du Tendre''; released in the Philippines as ''War Dragon'') is a 1992 film by New Zealand director Vincent Ward. The script for ''Map of the Human Heart'' was written by ...
'' (1993) charts a relationship between an Inuit boy, a Métis girl and a visiting British cartographer. Ward and his co-writer
Louis Nowra Mark Doyle, better known by his stage name Louis Nowra, (born 12 December 1950) is an Australian writer, playwright, screenwriter and librettist. He is best known as one of Australia's leading playwrights. His works have been performed by all o ...
spent time travelling and researching the project together in Canada and Vincent went on to travel extensively in the Arctic before they began writing the script. Ward suffered minor frostbite whilst location scouting in the Arctic that was still visible throughout the shoot. The film stars
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,
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and
Patrick Bergin Patrick Connolly Bergin (born 4 February 1951) is an Irish actor and singer perhaps best known for his leading role opposite Julia Roberts in ''Sleeping with the Enemy'' (1991), the title character in Robin Hood (1991 film), terrorist Kevin O ...
, and features
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in a minor role. It was produced by
Tim Bevan Timothy John Bevan, (born 20 December 1957) is a New Zealand-British film producer, the co-chairman (with Eric Fellner) of the production company Working Title Films. Bevan and Fellner are the most successful British producers of their era ...
and Ward, and it was screened as a work in progress at Cannes Film Festival in 1992, it was later nominated for best film at the Australian Film Institute Awards. American critic
Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...
praised its unpredictability and sense of adventure. In the 1990s Ward spent several years in and out of Hollywood, where he developed multiple projects before he signed on to direct '' What Dreams May Come'' (1998) a screenplay adapted by
Ronald Bass Ronald Jay Bass (born March 26, 1942), sometimes credited as Ron Bass, is an American screenwriter and film producer. He won an Academy Award for writing the screenplay for Barry Levinson's film ''Rain Man'', and films that Bass is associated ...
from
Richard Matheson Richard Burton Matheson (February 20, 1926 – June 23, 2013) was an American author and screenwriter, primarily in the fantasy, horror, and science fiction genres. He is best known as the author of '' I Am Legend'', a 1954 science ficti ...
's 1978 novel. What Dreams May Come was released in the United States on 2,600 screens and starred
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,
Annabella Sciorra Annabella Gloria Philomena Sciorra ( , ; born March 29, 1960) is an American actress. She came to prominence with her film debut in '' True Love'' (1989), earning an Independent Spirit nomination for Best Female Lead. Subsequent projects include ...
,
Cuba Gooding Jr. Cuba Mark Gooding Jr. (born January 2, 1968) is an American actor. He is the recipient of an Academy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and an Emmy nomination. After his breakthrough role as Tre Styles in ''Boyz n the Hood'' (1991), he appear ...
and
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. It reached US$71 million in theatrical sales and performed strongly in the video market. The film was nominated for Best Production Design and Best Visual Effects at the 1999
Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
and won an Oscar for visual effects. It continues to be popular with audiences scoring 84% on
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. The 2003 epic, ''
The Last Samurai ''The Last Samurai'' is a 2003 epic period action drama film directed and co-produced by Edward Zwick, who also co-wrote the screenplay with John Logan and Marshall Herskovitz from a story devised by Logan. The film stars Ken Watanabe in the ...
'' was based on a project Ward spent four years developing with the film's producers. Eventually, after Ward approached several directors, including
Francis Ford Coppola Francis Ford Coppola (; ; born April 7, 1939) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is considered one of the major figures of the New Hollywood filmmaking movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Coppola is the recipient of five A ...
and
Peter Weir Peter Lindsay Weir ( ; born August 21, 1944) is a retired Australian film director. He's known for directing films crossing various genres over forty years with films such as '' Picnic at Hanging Rock'' (1975), ''Gallipoli'' (1981), ''Witness ...
, he got
Edward Zwick Edward M. Zwick (born October 8, 1952) is an American filmmaker and producer of film and television. He has worked primarily in the comedy drama and historical drama, epic historical film genres, including ''About Last Night (1986 film), About L ...
to helm the film. Ward was an executive producer of the film. During his time in Hollywood, Ward became interested in acting and trained under acting coach Penny Allen. He had a small part in
Mike Figgis Michael Figgis (born 28 February 1948) is an English film director, screenwriter, and composer. He was nominated for two Academy Awards for his work in ''Leaving Las Vegas'' (1995). Figgis was the founding patron of the independent filmmakers o ...
’ film ''
Leaving Las Vegas ''Leaving Las Vegas'' is a 1995 American drama film written and directed by Mike Figgis, and based on the semi-autobiographical 1990 novel of the same name by John O'Brien. Nicolas Cage stars as a suicidal alcoholic in Los Angeles who, having ...
'' (1995), and a larger role in Figgis’ next film ''
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'' (1997). He was given one of the leading role in a US independent feature film ''The Shot'' (1996), and a role in
Geoff Murphy Geoffrey Peter Murphy (12 October 1938 – 3 December 2018) was a New Zealand filmmaker, producer, director, and screenwriter best known for his work during the renaissance of New Zealand cinema that began in the second half of the 1970s. His s ...
's film '' Spooked'' (2004). In 2005, he returned to New Zealand and made ''
River Queen ''River Queen'' is a 2005 New Zealand-British war drama film directed by Vincent Ward and starring Samantha Morton, Kiefer Sutherland, Cliff Curtis, Temuera Morrison and Stephen Rea. The film opened to mixed reviews but performed well at t ...
''. Starring
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,
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,
Stephen Rea Stephen Rea ( ; born 31 October 1946) is an Irish film and stage actor. Rea has appeared in films such as ''V for Vendetta'', ''Michael Collins'', ''Interview with the Vampire'' and ''Breakfast on Pluto''. Rea was nominated for the Academy Award ...
,
Temuera Morrison Temuera Derek Morrison (born 26 December 1960) is a New Zealand actor and Singer who first gained recognition for his role as Dr. Hone Ropata on the soap opera ''Shortland Street''. He gained critical acclaim for his starring role as Jake "The ...
and
Cliff Curtis Clifford Vivian Devon Curtis (born 27 July 1968) is a New Zealand actor. His film credits include '' Once Were Warriors'' (1994), ''Three Kings'' (1999), ''Training Day'' (2001), '' Whale Rider'' (2002), ''Collateral Damage'' (2002), '' Sunshin ...
. ''
Rain of the Children ''Rain of the Children'' is a 2008 feature film written, directed and produced by Vincent Ward (director), Vincent Ward. It stars Rena Owen and Temuera Morrison. In ''Rain of the Children'', Ward further explores the subject of his earlier fil ...
'' followed in 2008, wherein Ward retells the story of Puhi, the elderly Tuhoe woman who was the subject of his earlier documentary ''In Spring One Plants Alone''. ''Rain of the Children'' won the Grand Prix at Era
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. The film was nominated for best director and won best composer at the
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in New Zealand. Vincent Ward was also nominated for best director at the
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Awards. Ward has had 2 full retrospectives of his films. In 1984 at Germany's
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and in 2008 at Poland's Era New Horizons Film Festival. ''
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'' has called Vincent Ward "one of film's great image makers", while
Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...
, one of America's foremost film critics, hailed him as "a true visionary." In October 2020, filming began in Ukraine on Ward's new feature ''Storm School'' with further shooting planned in China, UK and Australia. It is based on a script cowritten by Ward and long-term collaborator Louis Nowra.


Painting and photography

Since 2010 Ward has launched a second career as a painter and video artist. In 2012 he had his first major solo show, ''Breath'', at New Zealand's cutting edge public gallery, the
Govett-Brewster Art Gallery The Govett-Brewster Art Gallery is a contemporary art museum at New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand. The gallery receives core funding from the New Plymouth District Council. Govett-Brewster is recognised internationally for contemporary art. H ...
/Len Lye Centre in New Plymouth. This was followed by two other public gallery showings in Auckland and a solo pavilion at the 9th Shanghai Biennale 2012. Ward received an honorary Doctorate in Fine Arts from the University of Canterbury (2014) and an adjunct professorship. In 2015 he had a guest professorship at the China Academy of Art, in Hanzhou, as well as a residency at the Shanghai University School of Fine Arts. Ward is represented in New Zealand by Trish Clark Gallery. Art writer and reviewer Anthony Byrt (Art Forum) described the work as “intense... stunning... virtuosic” and said “Ward has never shied away from the truth: he digs and digs until he gets somewhere other filmmakers and artists don't often visit: a psychic space where violence, memory, myth, sex and religion mingle in a landscape scarred by history.”. Rhana Devenport, director Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, wrote in her catalog for the exhibition: Ward's ongoing concerns with metamorphosis, falling, light, fear, memory, darkness and the transformative moment have led him to create a series of vast, physically imposing works that delve into other-worldly landscapes and transcendent states, to evocations of loss, redemption and unconscious realms.


Filmography


Short films


Feature films

Executive producer * ''
The Last Samurai ''The Last Samurai'' is a 2003 epic period action drama film directed and co-produced by Edward Zwick, who also co-wrote the screenplay with John Logan and Marshall Herskovitz from a story devised by Logan. The film stars Ken Watanabe in the ...
'' (2003)


Bibliography


By Vincent Ward

*''The Navigator, A Medieval Odyssey''. Screenplay (Faber and Faber: 1989). *''Edge of the Earth: Stories and Images from the Antipodes'' (Auckland: Heinemann Reed, 1990). *''The Past Awaits, people, images, film''. Large-format, full-colour photographic book of images and stories (published in New Zealand by Craig Potton Publishing, 2010). *''Inhale , Exhale''. Large format. Full color reproductions of Vincent Wards artwork from his 2011–2012 exhibitions (Breath Govett Brewster Art Gallery, Inhale , Exhale Gus Fisher Gallery and Pah Homestead, Auckland Station Shanghai Biennale) (Ron Sang Publications, 2012).


About Vincent Ward

*''Making the Transformational Moment in Film: Unleashing the Power of the Image (with the Films of Vincent Ward)'', by Dan Fleming, (Michael Wiese Productions, 2011).


Awards and honours

His films have earned critical acclaimed and festival attention. * ''In Spring One Plants Alone'' won the 1982 Grand Prix at Cinema du Reel (Paris), and a Silver Hugo at the Chicago Film Festival. * ''Vigil'', ''The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey'' and ''Map of the Human Heart'' were the first films by a New Zealander to be selected for the Cannes Film Festival. These films earned close to 30 national and international awards (including the Grand Prix at festivals in Italy, Spain, France and the United States). All three films have compelling and powerful performances by child actors. * ''The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey'' won major awards at both the Australian and New Zealand film industry awards. * ''What Dreams May Come'' was nominated for two Academy Awards and won the Oscar for best visual effects in 1999. * "''Rain of the Children'' won the Grand Prix at Era New Horizons Film Festival. The film was nominated for awards and won at the Qantas Film and TV Awards in New Zealand. Vincent Ward was also nominated for best director at the Australian Directors Guild Awards for "Rain of the Children."


References


External links

*
Vincent Ward Films
' * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ward, Vincent 1956 births Living people New Zealand film directors New Zealand screenwriters Male screenwriters Officers of the New Zealand Order of Merit University of Canterbury alumni Ilam School of Fine Arts alumni People educated at St. Patrick's College, Silverstream People from Greytown, New Zealand New Zealand painters People educated at Kuranui College