Announced recently in Cannes, The Strength of Water will be the debut feature from award-winning New Zealand director Armagan Ballantyne.

Written by acclaimed NZ playwright Briar Grace-Smith (pictured), The Strength of Water is the poignant story of a young boy who finds his own way of dealing with an unexpected tragedy. Announced recently in Cannes, The Strength of Water will be the debut feature from award-winning New Zealand director Armagan Ballantyne.

Written by acclaimed NZ playwright Briar Grace-Smith (pictured), The Strength of Water is the poignant story of a young boy who finds his own way of dealing with an unexpected tragedy.Ballantyne's award-winning short films have screened at festivals around the world including Venice, New York and Telluride.

The Strength of Water was workshopped with Ballantyne at the Sundance Directors and Screenwriters Labs in Utah. It was also developed at the Binger Institute in Amsterdam.

The film will be made with finance from the New Zealand Film Commission, Filmstiftung NRW in Germany, NZ On Air and Perceptual Engineering.

Hopscotch has acquired Australian and New Zealand rights to the film, which is presently in pre-production. Principal photography is slated to commence in August 2007 on location in and around the Hokianga region in the far North of New Zealand. The film is scheduled for completion in the second quarter of 2008.

21/5/07