Synopsis

The heart has gone out of Nanna Maria's family. There are no parties. They don't even fight anymore. Inspired by a dream of her childhood back in Fiji, Nanna demands that her grandchildren put on a big feast, kill her a pig, a real pig, and then she will name her successor, her No 2. The grandchildren reluctantly turn up, but as the day progresses their preparations unravel into chaos and an outraged Nanna calls the whole thing off. That's when everyone realizes they have to pull out all the stops and give the crazy old lady what she wants, and what they all need. It won't be easy, but young Soul is determined that his Nanna should have her wish. He realizes that family differences and falling outs must be repaired or at least put aside for just one day. As the day progresses old differences are put aside. A family will be reborn. A curse will even be broken. Nanna Maria will get her wish.

What The Critics Say

"This feel-good movie is based on a play by writer-director Toa Fraser, and it's intriguing to learn that the play was a one-woman show. The film teems with characters, so you have to hand it to Fraser for making it over completely for the cinema. You can enjoy the performances, which for the most part are very appealing especially that of American Ruby Dee who dominates the film as the irascible matriarch who wants things done her way. 2 1/2 stars." David Stratton ABC AT THE MOVIES "Dee has a magnificent presence on screen, and her regal demeanour gives Nanna Maria the sort of authority usually reserved for kings and queens. She is the heart and soul of this beautiful movie, representing a life's worth of experience and wisdom. Novotny is strikingly good as the outsider who wins Nanna's affections almost from the outset - it's not hard to see why. 9/10." Mark Beirne BRISBANE WHAT'S ON "The RASKIL number plate on one of the family cars is a playful pun on the real suburb in Auckland where writer/director Toa Fraser grew up, and the spirit of larrikinism by which this group of Pacific Islanders live. And it's not just the youth whose sensibilities are driven by the basic forces of life, but elderly Nanna Maria (Ruby Dee), who misses the fights and the banter of bygone parties." Andrew L Urban URBAN CINEFILE

"We had "Sione's Wedding", and now this one. I actually enjoy going into that world, where I think the situation's made. We're all human beings, but it's that texture of different family relationships and a different way of talking English, different rhythms that I find enriches a film in a really nice way for me. 3 1/2 stars." Margaret Pomeranz ABC AT THE MOVIES "No. 2" is primarily a drama with plenty of heart-tugging moments, but Fraser successfully adds a few drops of comedy - after all, what would a family get-together be without some laughs? Director of photography Leon Narbey (Whale Rider) beautifully captures the spirit of the single setting with an understated lens, while composer Don McGlashan (An Angel At My Table) contributes a thoughtful score. The destination is predictable, but "No. 2" is more concerned with the journey. A beautiful film about family, friendship and tradition. 9/10." Mark Beirne BRISBANE WHAT'S ON "Toa Fraser has energetically recreated the social and familial environment of Nanna Maria's family and friends, with the help of a great cast, led by the venerable and endearing Ruby Dee. The film plays with an earthy charm and it's hard to be critical of its patchy tone and its occasional lapse into sentimentality or clichéd filmmaking devices (like visual montage over music)." Andrew L Urban URBAN CINEFILE

The Inside Story "From a backyard in Mt. Roskill to the Sundance Film Festival, it's crazy and very cool, a big honour. I'm very proud of the film and can't wait for audiences to get to see it," said Toa Fraser, when it was announced that his film "No.2" would be one of only sixteen international films slected for international dramatic competition at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. The festival was founded by legendary actor Robert Redford in 1981, and selects films for their originality, creativity and diversity. The Festival has a history of ‘discoveries’ including "Shine"; "The Blair Witch Project"; "The Motorcycle Diaries" and "Wolf Creek". The most recent New Zealand movie to be selected was "Whale Rider" in 2003 which won the Audience Prize. "Sundance is the premier film festival in America, the leading North American showcase for independent film and particularly famous for discovering talent," says NZ Film's Kathleen Drumm. "Like all 'A Grade' events, selection is an extremely competitive process and we’re thrilled that Toa’s film has been chosen. We anticipate serious international distributor interest as a result. Many of these distributors will be at Sundance which we expect to be a very busy market for us." "No. 2" was cast by Diana Rowan ("The Piano" & "Whale Rider") with the starring role of Nanna Maria going to Emmy Award-winner Ruby Dee. Ms Dee has appeared in many feature films including Spike Lee’s "Jungle Fever" and "Do The Right Thing". One obvious reason the film gained selection was because it features a fine ensemble of both well established and emerging New Zealand actors including Taungaroa Emile and Mia Blake. Joining them is one of Scandinavia’s most successful young actresses, Tuva Novotny. And just in case your not all that impressed, it is no mean feat getting into Sundance. There were three thousand submissions to the festival for its 2006 event which was took place in Park City, Utah from 19th - 29th January 2006. How good id "No.2"? It's very good. A real little charmer. What cinemagoers will not know, but I am about to reveal, is that "No.2" was originally a one woman stage show which premiered in June 1999 at the Silo Theatre, a popular fringe venue in downtown Aucklandand. It toured to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival where it won a Fringe First; then to Mexico, Holland, Fiji, Jamaica, Sweden, Sydney Opera House and a season at the Kings Head in Islington, London. And here's another snippet of information you may not know, the film is Toa Fraser's feature film directorial debut. Fraser chose familiar ground for the setting of "No.2". His family has lived for fifty years in Mt Roskill, Auckland. "I see No.2 as a love letter, I always have. I wanted to write a love letter to family, to friends, to life," Fraser explained. "It didn’t take long to figure out it was going to be a story about Mt Roskill, the area of Auckland where my large Pacific family has lived for more than fifty years." Fraser says it's also about journeys. "The journey from Scotland and Samoa to Levuka to M. Roskill. The journey from Roseman Ave to Dominion Rd shops to St Therese Catholic Church. From Harlem and London and Copenhagen and Sydney to Mt Roskill. The journey from Suva, where I began writing the screenplay, to Wellington, where we’re finishing post-production." Mt Roskill is in reality far removed from the romantic visions of a young child growing up in the English countryside. "For as long as I can remember, Mt. Roskill has been a romantic, mythical place. In the stories I heard as a child, growing up in the English countryside, Mt Roskill was one part Mt Olympus and one part Big Whisky: a place where powerful, immortal figures sat around with their ambrosia, a place where passions ran wild and whisky was poured, not sipped," says Fraser. "Parties would start at 9.30 in the morning and finish forty-eight hours later, just in time for the weekend. Only recently I’ve learned that Mt Roskill was supposed to be the opposite of the way I’ve always known it, apparently it was supposed to be the most boringest place in the whole wide world, where common sense New Zealanders could nurture their families in a safe environment. The only common sense in our vision of Mt Roskill is the common sense to realise the important things in life: laughing, singing, dancing, fighting, boozing, eating; the stuff of our Mt Roskill, our New Zealand, our world." It hasn't all been easy street for Toa Fraser and his wife. "when I started writing No.2 as a play in 1999 we had no money to go out and get some decent coffee. We weren’t struggling I guess but seriously, on occasion, I’d be picking up extra sugars and sachets of ketchup to take home from Burger King when we’d go eat there during a long evening shift at the cinemas. We’d eat at Burger King because the staff there hooked us up with cheap burgers to get free movies in exchange." And getting the script right took a monumantal effort. "Making "No.2" was hard! It was hard, hard work from beginning to end, for everybody involved. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, easily." But how hard was it for the films star Ms Ruby Dee. "The day I met Ms Dee she had been in Auckland only for a few hours," Fraser recalls. "She was on the phone to her husband Ossie Davis. I’ll never forget that first meeting." That night, Ossie Davis died in Florida. Ms Dee was on a plane back to New York twenty-four hours after she arrived in New Zealand. "She was of course devastated," says Fraser. "She said to me before she left, though, that she’d be back, that she was looking forward to coming back and celebrating life. She went back to Harlem, to practically a state funeral, where Harry Belafonte, Maya Angelou, Bill Clinton spoke. I went back to the beach with my wife, and listened to Don McGlashan’s rough version of his song "Bathe in the River" (just him and a guitar) about 500 hundred times. Ms Dee came back two weeks later. Meeting her and working with her, the whole experience was awesome in the real meaning of that word I overuse. I was in awe, I still am." Ms Dee, who is an inductee into the Theatre Hall Of Fame found much to like about the script. "I was impressed, as I read Toa’s script, that here is a writer from another cultural background but one very similar to my own. There was a difference in the way people expressed themselves, which I found delightful. "No.2" has great truths, great drama and great humour. Toa’s work has a new kind of edge; he has also lived this experience and has an organic connection to the themes of tradition, relocation and love. He has sensitivity," notes Ms Dee, "he is a young writer concerned with the issues of today." Fraser says, "It took almost four years (and twenty draft scripts) to write the screenplay. We were meticulous in its development. I worked with producers and script consultants who constantly pushed me and pushed the script further and deeper." It must have worked. Have a look at the production crew credits and you'll quickly realize some big names worked on this film including 'Working Title Films' in the UK and Miramax/Buena Vista International in Australasia. Amongst those supporters was producer Lydia Livingstone who remembers when she first read the script. "It had such depth and wonderful complexity," she remembers. Producer Tim White was only too happy to give Toa Fraser a big wrap. "Throughout this long process and with input coming from many sources, some of it contradictory, some of it challenging, Toa was always ready to embrace a good idea and yet stay strong to his vision of the story." I for one am glad he did. The end result is as I think I've already pointed out, a real little charmer. Let's hope it sticks around long enough for some cinemagoers to at least enjoy it. The Verdict "Obviously a lot of work went into this adaptation by Toa Fraser and this is to be commended for "No.2" is a deliciously delighful film which, given a bit of publicity would have given a lot of cinemagoers much pleasure. The cast, led by Ms Ruby Dee are earthy and believable. Ms Dee's performance in the lead role as the matriarchal Nanna Maria is superb as is those of Taungaroa Emile, Tuva Novotny and Mia Blake. The mixture of family infighting, unsettled differences which have led to isolation amongst kinfolk, and a generation of youngsters growing up with 'modern' traditions are fully exposed in this story of one woman who just wants a final party, a real pig cooked properly and all her family gathered together for a special day. A little charmer from the 'land of the long white cloud'. 4 STARS." Cast & Crew Bytes "No. 2" stars .......
Emmy Award, Kennedy Centre Award and Theatre Hall Of Fame inductee Ruby Dee ["What a Guy", "Up Tight!", "The Torture of Mothers", "Jazztime Tale" and "The Way Back Home"]; Mia Blake ["Fracture" and "Without A Paddle"]; Rene Naufahu ["The Matrix Reloaded", "The Matrix Revolutions" and "In Her Line of Fire"]; Miriama McDowell ["Kerosine Creek"]; Joe Folau ["The Whole Of The Moon", "The Other Side of Heaven", "The Legend of Johnny Lingo" and "King Kong"], with Taungaroa Emile ["Once Were Warriors", "The Legend of Johnny Lingo", "King Kong" and "Whale Rider"] as Soul and Swedish Shooting Star Berlin 2002 Tuva Novotny ["Waiting for Rain", "Four Weeks in June", "Stoned" and "Bang Bang Orangutang"] as Danish Maria.
"No. 2" was .......
directed by Toa Fraser ["No. 2"]; screenplay by Toa Fraser ["River Queen"]; production design by Philip Ivey ["Perfect Creature" and "Out Of The Blue"]; cinematography by Leon Narbey ["The Lounge Bar", "Punitive Damage", "Whale Rider" and "Kerosine Creek"]; original music by Don McGlashan ["The Lounge Bar", "An Angel at My Table", "Absent Without Leave" and "Like It Is"] executive producers Tim Bevan ["Bridget Jones's Diary", "Love Actually", "The Interpreter", "Pride & Prejudice" and "United 93"], Eric Fellner ["About A Boy", "The Guru", "Gettin' Square", "Shaun of the Dead" and "Nanny McPhee"] and Timothy White ["Cosi", "Two Hands", "Ned Kelly" and "Gettin' Square"]. Run Time 93 minutes Rated M [AUST] Copyright ©2006 - Buena Vista International - All Rights Reserved Copyright Protected © 2006 - Impact Internet Services - All Rights Reserved