Movie Debuts, Almost-True Coming-of-Age Tales and Christchurch's Post-Punk Music Scene: BENEE and Ed Oxenbould Talk 'Head South'

Before 2025 is out, BENEE will release her second album. Before that, she's supporting Tate McRae's UK and Europe gigs, and already has a tune on the soundtrack for A Minecraft Movie. That's a huge year for any musician, especially after touring with Wallows in North America and Olivia Rodrigo in Australia in 2024, as well as making her Coachella debut in 2023 and singing the official song of the same year's Women's World Cup with Mallrat. But something else that's massive has been happening for Stella Bennett around the above achievements and highlights, plus her own first world tour in 20222: Head South, her debut film.

Written and directed by fellow Aotearoan Jonathan Ogilvie (The Tender Hook, Lone Wolf), Head South is based on his own experiences. The filmmaker calls it "an almost-true story"; "everything in it happened, and mainly to me", he also notes. Given that the movie shot in 2022, then premiered at International Film Festival Rotterdam in 2024, then played New Zealand International Film Festival and hit cinemas in NZ that year, Head South has been a part of Bennett's life for a few years ahead of opening in Australia on Thursday, April 3, 2205. And while she can't wait for what's ahead for her musically in 2025 — "I'm so excited. I love touring. It's pretty fun being on a bus. That makes it weirdly easier, because you're not checking into hotels or being in a sprinter van, but you get rocked to sleep in the bus. It's quite strange. It doesn't sound fun, but it is fun," she tells Concrete Playground — she's always wanted to be in a film. Indeed, she hopes that more will follow.

BENEE wasn't actively looking for the project that'd take her to the big screen when Head South crossed her path. "It was just an opportunity that came up," she advises. That said, "I'd definitely been saying that I want to do acting", she also reflects. "I grew up doing auditions and voiceovers, so it was definitely, when it came up, I was like 'heck yeah, definitely, I'm down'." The bug has firmly struck, though, including genuinely seeking out new parts moving forward. "I am. I've just got a new agent in America, so there are hopefully going to be some opportunities. And I want to be in a horror movie. I would love to be in a scary movie."

With Head South mining Ogilvie's teenage life for inspiration, Australian talent Ed Oxenbould (Nugget Is Dead?: A Christmas Story) is the picture's lead — and the lone Aussie among the NZ cast and crew, he tells us. As Angus, it's the Puberty Blues, Paper Planes, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, The Visit, Better Watch Out, Wildlife and Irreverent star's task to virtually play his director, and to find himself thrust into Christchurch's post-punk music scene in 1979. Always trying to seem cool, the character swaps his blonde surfer-style locks and trying to pass off parsley as marijuana with his schoolmates for a cropped cut, a bass and the world revolving around Middle Earth Records. Listening to Public Image Ltd, John Lydon's band post-Sex Pistols, is one of those life-changing music moments that every teen has. Attempting to put together the band that Angus claims that he already fronts — endeavouring to impress Malcolm (Demos Murphy, The Gulf), the singer from local favourites The Cursed — isn't as straightforward as he expects, however.

Angus' made-up group has a name: The Daleks. It soon has a gig as well, opening for The Cursed. BENEE plays Kirsten, who works the counter at a pharmacy, is a wiz on the guitar and is Angus' only hope for making good on his music claims. That Ogilvie's narrative focuses on a journey sparked by exaggerating to fit in, then scrambling to back it up, is indicative of its warts-and-all honesty. There's warmth to Head South, yet it's also deeply bittersweet as it balances Angus and Kirsten's growing connection, and the former's quest to truly find himself amid his self-doubts — plus "all these cute characters vibing around Christchurch", as BENEE puts it — with more than a few people taking advantage of Angus, the awkwardness with his father (Marton Csokas, Cuckoo) at home after his mother has moved out and navigating a tragedy.

In Head South's performances, emotions, personal ties, portrait of a moment in music history in a specific city, soundtrack and aesthetic — scratches and splices among the visuals included — Ogilvie pushes authenticity to the fore. Much about that commitment appealed to both Bennett and Oxenbould; this isn't the kind of project that comes either of their ways often. "You don't see these type of things every day, and that's what immediately jumped out about it, was the quality of it, how unique it was. It was something that I knew nothing about, which is always exciting as an actor, to dive into a different world. And the fact that it was personal and true adds a whole new gravity and weight to it, which makes it really exciting. There was so much about it that was so interesting and tantalising as an idea," Oxenbould says.

Among the pair, Oxenbould was the veteran on-screen, but Bennett had the music experience. Drawing upon each other's expertise was a key part of the production for both. We also chatted with the duo about being about to lean on each other, the weight of making a film that's so personal for its guiding force — and, as Oxenbould characterises it, "such a unique mix of genres" — as well as music research and more.

On How BENEE Knew That Head South Was the Right Film for Her Movie Debut

Stella: "I think when I initially got sent the script and story, I was obviously like 'okay, this is sick'. This is set in Christchurch, in the post-punk scene, which I honestly didn't know a lot about when I first got sent it.

And then I read the script and I learned about Kirsten, and I was pretty attached to her quite early on — because I was like 'oh, there's something so vulnerable and sweet and kind of damaged and quirky about this character'. And I just instantly fell in love with the whole story.

It just felt right. And also Jonathan was so nice. He was so enthusiastic from the get-go. And I was like 'he believes in me, and I'm so down to be a part of this'.

I've always wanted to be in a film. And I love acting. It's a lot of fun. And it's fun to just be a different character, because I feel like my whole thing is BENEE and it's more myself — but performing, but myself. So it was cool to just completely take a different role.

I want to be in a horror movie next. I want to be every different kind of character."

On Whether It's Daunting Making a Project That's So Personal for Its Director — Including, for Oxenbould, Playing a Version of Ogilvie

Ed: "100 percent. It's very daunting. Look, it's good. Thankfully, it was really good that Jonathan wasn't like 'you have to get me word-perfect'. It was so relaxed, and he knew that it was just a basis. And there were things that he changed and stretched in his story, so we found a really good middle ground of character and real life.

But it is always daunting, knowing that these things happened to him. It adds to it — it's not just like 'ooh, how would I react?'. There was a lot of me asking him 'how did you react? How did you feel here? How can I try to bring some of that authenticity and truthfulness to that?'.

But it is definitely daunting."

Stella: "It definitely was. And even I remember that last scene, I feel like I got — as you got — pretty emotional, because I was like 'damn, he went through this and we're just acting this out right now in front of him', and 'what a crazy thing to experience in life' and to do it justice, basically."

Ed: "Yeah, that's it. But it is surreal. Like you're saying, Stella, it's kind of weird to think 'ohh, we're acting out this crazy pivotal moment in Jonathan's life'."

Stella: "Yeah."

Ed: "And he's watching, and there's a whole crew watching."

Stella: "You did a great job, mate. You did a great job."

Ed: "Thank you. You too."

On the Balancing Act of Navigating the Movie's Mix of Comedy, Darkness, Coming-of-Age Antics, Awkwardness and Heartbreak

Ed: "It definitely is, but I think it comes down to Jonathan's great sense of direction — that he knew when to reel it in, he knew when to accentuate it. But I think that's also what read in the script, is the sense of humour, and all these gags that were in it that made it really fun and light.

And it's also that really nice, quirky, very Kiwi sense of humour, which also just sets it apart from so many other things.

But I think he just did such a good job with, on the day and in editing, just really finding that balance of heart and extremities of both sides."

Stella: "Definitely. There's so much depth. And like, yeah, you were laughing — like I was hysterically laughing at times —and then other times I'm like 'well, this is dark and kind of twisted' or 'this is really sad'.

I feel like that's what I want out of every movie. I want it to make me feel a bunch of things — and then I come out of it, and I feel a little bit hurt, but I also feel kind of hopeful."

On the Research Required for a Film Set in the Late 70s, in the Post-Punk Music Scene, Telling a Very Specific Slice of Christchurch Life

Ed: "For me, so much of the film is about these experiences that Angus goes through and he's extremely unprepared for them, and he kind of gets taken off his feet. So I had an element of that, of wanting to be a little bit carried away and swept up by the music and by everything.

But I think in basic preparation, it was just a lot of looking at a lot of reference material; listening to the music; listening to what came before, what came after, what came during; and just to try to build the scene in your head — so that we were really well-versed in just that world, so that we could do our jobs truthfully and as close as possible to how these people lived and sounded and acted."

Stella: "Yeah, totally. And for me, I think what was really helpful was just sitting down with Jonathan and hearing everything that he has to say about that era, and what it was like for him being in a band —  because it is so different to how it is now, and making music and releasing and recording music.

And he's so passionate about it because he's not only a director but also musician. So just learning from him, and then feeling prepared by that. He was like an encyclopaedia, for real — a thesis."

On How BENEE's Music Experience Helped Her Make the Leap to Her First Movie

Stella: "Maybe for the performance at the end. That was really fun. But also, I feel like music is my life, so it felt quite comfortable just doing this film because it was all about the music.

And yeah, I think that in maybe some subtle ways that it did help me, maybe. I don't know how, but I think it did."

On What Oxenbould Makes of His Journey of an Actor, From Starting Out as a Child to the Path That's Brought Him to Head South

Ed: "That journey is bizarre. I've been so, so lucky, and I wouldn't change anything. I've met incredible people. I've made my strongest friends by doing it. It's given me access to a whole host of opportunities that are very, very fortunate. So I feel so lucky.

But I don't know — I don't really know where it goes from here. I don't know if I hit my peak and now I've plateaued."

Stella: "No, you have not."

Ed: "Or I'm on a downward spiral.

But it's good. It means everything to me. I'm so lucky, and I hope I can continue to do it for the rest of my life. And I'm excited to explore other areas of the industry.

It was a fantastic way to learn and to grow up. I've picked up all these great things and it's made me who I am as a person. I'm very, very fortunate to the people who let me get away with all things I get away with."

On What It Means to BENEE to Make Her Movie Debut in a Homegrown Film That's So Proud of Being From NZ, and with Such a Strong Connection to Music

Stella: "It feels really special and authentic, and just like it was meant to be. It was just the universe being like 'girl, you're going to do this right now and it's going to be really cool'.

And it feels really special that it is my home, and I am part of the music, and the music that shapes the music from Christchurch. That made no sense."

Ed: "I got it."

Stella: "Did you get that? But it does feel pretty special. I wouldn't have wanted it to be any other role. And also just the people, it was so nice. I don't have any other experience of working with actors or directors from America or anything, so it was pretty special that it was on this Kiwi-Aussie bus. Everyone just gets it and is super down to earth and very chill. So it was a great environment to be in, especially as a first-timer, I would say."

On Being Able to Lean on Each Other While Making the Film

Ed: "100 percent. It's that beautiful acting thing where you just bounce off each other, and you don't realise it but you learn so much from other people. And then by the end you're like 'ohh, thank you'. And it's not this explicit 'let me help you, ;et me sit you down, Buster'."

Stella: "No, no."

Ed: "You just absorb."

Stella: "Yeah."

Ed: "It was great."

Stella: "It was a lot of fun. It makes it easier, I guess, just being able to vibe with who you're working with in any field — but especially because Ed is so good. I was like 'okay, I'm taking notes and I'm learning, and I'm going to get better at this'.

So it was a pretty awesome experience."

Ed: "Watching you just perform and on stage — okay, that's how you do it."

Stella: "No! I was literally faking the guitar. It was insane. I was learning how to play bass — oh wait, no I wasn't, I was actually playing guitar."

On What Oxenbould Looks for in an Australian or New Zealand Project — and What's Special About Working Down Under After His Success Overseas

Ed: "It just means a lot more. It's a lot nicer to be talking in your own accent, and talking to people that you know. and you're in a familiar land. It just feels better. It feels nice. It means you can stay and you can work and still live with family. When you work over there, you have to kind of give up — at least I have to give up everything to go over there.

But working in Australia, I love. And then working in New Zealand was an honour. I love, love, love, love New Zealand. I love Kiwis. And I was the only Aussie."

Stella: "You were."

Ed: "I was only one in the cast. I think the only one on the crew. So I was very intimidated."

Stella: "New Zealand loves you."

Ed: "But you felt very welcomed, and I was very happy. And it meant a lot that that Jonathan trusted me to be the lead of this very distinctly Kiwi film — to get a traitor in the mix."

Stella: "No! No. You made peace, bro."

On What BENEE and Oxenbould Learned From Making Head South

Ed: "You learn so much from every project and every film, which is the best part about it — you just pick up so much from the people, from around you. But I think the main thing that I learned was just about the punk scene. It's just awesome to dive into a whole new topic. And it's not something that I ever would have probably researched or probably would have sought out a lot of information, but then having Jonathan, having this crazy, knowledgeable guy who's just always there and able to fill us in on the gaps of history, it was just great.

You walk away learning a lot more about these real institutions that have shaped the music industry here and in New Zealand."

Stella: "Totally."

Head South opened in Australian cinemas on Thursday, April 3, 2025 — and is available to stream in New Zealand via Arovision.