Tararua Cinematheque Presents : Duel (1971)

Our first film of 2023 is a tie-in with the New Zealand release of Steven Spielberg's much-anticipated new film, "The Fabelmans." In January, we celebrate Spielberg by going back to 1971 when the 24yo filmmaker got his first feature film break - "Duel."

Outside of Hitchcock, Spielberg is likely the most well-known film director in history. His name is synonymous with wonder, adventure, thrills, and heart. Across his filmography, Spielberg's "Duel" is one of his least known projects, but this made-for-tv picture was so outstanding and got such tremendous ratings, they brought the young director back to shoot more scenes and release the film in cinemas.

The premise was simple - an innocent man is chased by a horrific big truck with a terrible case road rage. For 90 minutes, it's a spectacular cat-and-mouse race through the California desert. It's exciting, it's fun, it's nerve-wracking, and it's the perfect audition tape for what would become Jaws a few years later.

Join us on the 29th of January for our first film of 2023, "Duel." Then on 3 February, see this year's biggest Oscar contender, "The Fabelmans," when we open it at The Regent Pahiatua.