Alien Weaponry Documentary to Premiere at Tribeca Film Festival
There have been some amazing documentaries about heavy metal bands over the years and a new one based on New Zealand’s Alien Weaponry is making its way to this year’s Tribeca Film Festival in New York City next month.
Directed by Kent Belcher and produced by Nigel McCulloch, Alien Weaponry: Kua Tupu Te Ara takes a deep look into the band’s upbringing, their rise as an international act, and what lies ahead of them as new opportunities arise. The movie will include appearances from some of metal’s bigger names, including Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe, Testament’s Chuck Billy and Gojira’s Joe and Mario Duplantier.
As first-time documentary subjects, drummer Henry Te Reiwhati de Jong, guitarist and vocalist Lewis Raharuhi de Jong, and guitarist Tūranga Porowini Morgan-Edmonds said they were stoked that the documentary will finally see the light of day.
“We are so excited to finally share this documentary we have been working on for years with you. The film captures our journey of navigating the world of music, showing the highlights, the hardships, and everything in between.”
Similarly, Belcher said he was proud of his work on the film and hoped people would get a better sense of the junction between the band’s Māori culture and their love for metal.
“After six years of traveling with, living with and filming the Alien Weaponry family, to finally be able to share that with audiences and showcase Māori culture in a vibrant and heartfelt way is just so rewarding. To have my first film as director premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival is an absolute dream come true.
“What makes our film is the family aspect. The ups and downs, the strains of being on the road with your family and then pulling through because you’ve all got a common goal. They’re an amazing, powerful group of people and they’ve taught me a hell of a lot. I’m so privileged to be part of this. I can’t put it into words how lucky I am to have met these people, be able to film these people and then being able to learn stuff about myself. It has honestly been the best experience of my life.”
Following its official premiere on June 6, the film’s premiere will feature a Q&A with Belcher, McCulloch, and the film’s editor. It will also be available for viewing at other local theaters while the festival is going on — you can find a screening pretty easily as long as you’re in the New York City area.
