A State of Siege

1978 0h 50m EN

🙌

7.5

BANGER

★7.5TMDB · 2

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Malfred Signal leaves her life of stifling gentility as an art teacher in a South Island private girls' school and decides to live out her dream – painting alone in the remote North. One terrifying night, beset by a prowler, but confronting only her own image at every step, she relives her past.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Anne Flannery
Malfred Signal
Peggy Walker
John Bullock
Bus Driver
Peter McCauley
Fiance
Maime White
Dorothy McKegg
Jennifer Khan

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Vincent Ward
Writers: Vincent Ward, Timothy White
Countries: New Zealand

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 50-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

48 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Vincent Ward, shot by Alun Bollinger. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by John Cousins. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Chris King shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Anne Flannery and Peggy Walker and John Bullock carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0872337 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Vincent Ward directs. Alun Bollinger behind the camera. John Cousins scores. Chris King cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in New Zealand.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 50-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
248 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by Vincent Ward, shot by Alun Bollinger. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by John Cousins. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Chris King shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Anne Flannery and Peggy Walker and John Bullock carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt0872337 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 2 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.