DRAGON: NZ film to world premiere at Wellington’s 2024 Lunar New Year Festival
Still from DRAGON 2024, Good Company Arts.
Dance, music, and theatre will come together this weekend for a Wellington-first world premiere, as Te Tumu Toi New Zealand Arts Foundation Laureate Daniel Belton and Good Company Arts unleash their latest work, DRAGON.
An online screening of DRAGON will take place at the 2024 Wellington Lunar New Year Festival on 10 February 2024, organised by Asian Events Trust to welcome in the Year of the Dragon.
Timed to coincide on the first day of the Lunar New Year, DRAGON pays homage to the power, strength and good fortune represented by dragons in Asian culture.
Drawing inspiration from the 2024 Asian Zodiac symbol, the Wood Dragon, DRAGON embraces the ecological and cultural significance of dragons in Japanese and Māori culture. For Māori, the “Tarakona”, akin to the Japanese "Doragon," serves as a guardian representing the life force of a place. As kaitiaki earth guardians, they transmit messages of hope, urging us to be in tune with nature, acknowledging earth and emphasising humanity's custodial role.
DRAGON brings together a stellar cast of creatives, with artists from the USA, Japan, Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand. Cut to a brand new music score by soul-jazz pioneer Mark de Clive-Lowe infused with evocative taonga pūoro from Mahina- Ina Kingi-Kaui and Alistair Fraser, the elevated sonic textures inspire dynamic screen performances from Idiot Savant Theater Company with Airu Matsuda and Samara Reweti. The virtuosic dance-theatre presence of Nao Akao, Yasuhiro Kondo and Chikako Arai, channels the energy of the dragon. Acclaimed wordsmith, Katherine Lyall-Watson adds a poetic script, igniting sonic and visual spaces in this work.
A visual and auditory feast, DRAGON offers audiences a one-of-a-kind experience. Exploring the intersection of ancient myths and modern narratives DRAGON celebrates the unique bridge that links Aotearoa New Zealand to Asia. This mesmerising fusion of dance, music and theatre with cinematic artistry highlights the power of the arts to transcend boundaries, raise awareness of global ecological issues and bring cultures together.
Audiences will be treated to an experience that not only showcases the talents of Daniel Belton and the team from Good Company Arts, but also acknowledges the rich cultural tapestry of Wellington’s Lunar New Year Festival.
DRAGON promises to be a highlight of Asian Events Trust’s 2024 Lunar New Year Festival programme, offering a unique and unforgettable experience for everyone who has the privilege of seeing its world premiere.
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DRAGON – view online at https://lunarnewyearfestival.co.nz/festival-events/dragon, from 10-24 February 2024.
DRAGON also features in the Cultural Entertainment programme as part of Festival Day celebrations on Sunday 18 February, at TSB Arena, Wellington.
For the full festival programme, go to https://lunarnewyearfestival.co.nz/festival-events