Devonport's environs are a common feature in the film

After screening to critical acclaim around New Zealand and overseas, next week the feature film Russian Snark will finally debut in Devonport, where much of it was filmed.

The award winning movie, written and directed by local resident Stephen Sinclair and starring Devonport-based actress Elena Stejko, begins a season at the Victoria Picture Palace and Theatre on Thursday 29 September.

Best known as a writer for the stage and screen (Ladies Night, The Bach, The Lord of the Rings, Braindead), Sinclair says it made sense to use his own backyard as the location for his first film as a director.

“I’m very familiar with the terrain round Narrow Neck, Cheltenham and North Head, where the rock formations and vistas offer fantastic visual possibilities,” he says. “And, of course, it’s nice and handy!”

Described by Sinclair as “an eccentric comedy-drama-art movie” and inspired by the true life story of a Russian couple who sailed out to New Zealand in a tiny converted life boat, Russian Snark focuses on Russian filmmaker Misha (Stephen Papps), whose attempts to further his career in this country are met with utter indifference.

A central theme of the movie is whether it’s better to be a great artist or a good man, something Sinclair laughingly admits has great personal relevance for him.

“Filmmaking is not a family-friendly profession,” he says, “and the conflict between work and private life was certainly an issue during the making of Russian Snark. Though my wife is still talking to me – so at least the outcome wasn’t disastrous!”