Hitting screens this week is a film that has reportedly been in the making for eight years. Savage is writer/ director Sam Kelly’s feature directorial debut and revolves around members of a New Zealand street gang. The film follows Danny at three definitive periods in his life with Jake Ryan playing Damage (below), the imposing figure Danny eventually becomes as an adult.
Inspired by stories from New Zealand’s boys homes and the early history of our gangs, Savage follows Danny across 3 different ages at important junctures that push and pull him towards and away from gang life. Each chapter of Danny’s life is a complete short story set in a defining time for NZ gangs: from the abusive state-run boy’s homes of the sixties; to the emerging urban gang scene in the seventies where disenfranchised teenagers created their own families on the streets; to the eighties when gangs became more structured, criminal, and violent. Together the three chapters combine to create a deeper look at a boy who grows up to become the brutal enforcer of a gang; to understand how he got there. Savage is about Danny’s search for belonging and connection, and explores the notion of family. Danny is torn between his real family and his gang family, and must choose where he belongs.
We spoke to Sam about his journey in bringing the film to the screen, how he involved many untrained actors in some the key supporting roles, his inspiration behind the film and more. Check out the interview below.
Savage is released in UK and Irish cinemas from 11th September.
