Henry attracts crowd to his love story

JOHN HAWKINS/The Southland Times

STAR OF THE SHOW: Henry the tuatara dressed for the red carpet at the Invercargill premiere of the film he stars in, Love in Cold Blood. He is flanked by (from left) his co-star and curator Lindsay Hazley and directors Carla Braun-Elwert and Jane Adcroft.

Henry and Mildred: A love story

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Faltering romance, tragedy and drama, before eventually the guy gets the girl – it has all the elements of a Hollywood love story. Only shorter and scalier.

About 40 people turned out for the Invercargill premiere of Love in Cold Blood, a short film about the slow-burn tuatara courtship between 111-year-old Henry and 80- year-old Mildred, at the Southland Museum and Art Gallery last night.

The film was created by University of Otago natural history film-making students Jane Adcroft and Carla Braun-Elwert.

While dignitaries including Mayor Tim Shadbolt, mayoral challenger Suzanne Prentice and Southland District Council chief executive Dave Adamson attended, it was Henry who turned heads, dressed in a bow-tie for the occasion.

Last night, Adcroft said even though the Invercargill screening was not the film's first, it was the most meaningful – playing out where the story of the reptilian couple first began.

"I think it shows we have a sense of place in life – Henry, at 111, can still find romance."

She paid tribute to Henry's curator, and co-star, Lindsay Hazley. Mr Hazley was "inspirational" throughout the seven months they were filming.

For Braun-Elwert, Mr Hazley's passion for tuatara left an impression.

She first met him when she was 15 after she and her family visited the tuatarium after returning from a holiday on Stewart Island, she said.

"He really struck me as an enthusiastic guy, he just stuck in my head."

When she and Adcroft were searching for inspiration for the film, memories of Mr Hazley and the tuatara came back.

Adcroft said having both come from backgrounds in science, Love in Cold Blood had kick-started their film-making careers.

The movie had already won high praise.

It was selected for the Newcomers Award at the Wildscreen festival be held in Bristol, England, in October.

In May, it won the best New Zealand film and best new New Zealand emerging talent awards at the Reel Earth Environmental Film Festival in Palmerston North.

The film will screen again tonight at the Fiordland National Park Visitor Centre at 7.30, with entry by gold coin donation.

- © Fairfax NZ News