Rob Sarkies' first three movies have all begun in southern climes, then headed in unexpected directions.

New feature Two Little Boys is a black comedy featuring Flight of the Conchords star Bret McKenzie and Australian comedian Hamish Blake.

Scarfies celebrates Dunedin student life, before morphing into a twisted examination of morality under fire. Out of the Blue celebrates community and the ordinary person, while recreating the 1990 killings at Aramoana.

In this ScreenTalk interview, Sarkies talks about:

• How he enjoys making films which mix different flavours, genres and ideas
• How Two Little Boys mixes elements of comedy, relationship drama and shock horror
• How the film’s lovable but heinous characters offer a chance to explore relationships – especially relationships in decay
• Signing up Flight of the Conchords star Bret McKenzie
• Writing scripts with his multi-talented brother Duncan Sarkies
• Being aware of the stakes when he made his first feature Scarfies
• Using marketing to overcome the Kiwi cultural cringe
• Creating a perception that Out of the Blue was made with heart and artistry, so people could feel comfortable about being involved

This video is available on YouTube to embed and distribute via a Creative Commons licence.

NZ On Screen: Editing by Ian Pryor. Camera by Andy Chappell.