The Weight of Elephants

The Weight Of Elephants is the debut feature of Daniel Joseph Borgman, a New Zealander who lives between Europe and the country he grew up in, New Zealand.

Daniel has forged a unique path as a New Zealand filmmaker, making his films both there and in Europe. The films are influenced by both environments and film-making histories, and he has gained recognition for his emerging talent at the most prestigious festivals in the world. He has been innovative with approach and format, but the films all share a mature sensitivity and strong visual aesthetic.

 His first film The Man and The Albatross is remarkable for the arresting visuals on a small budget and premiered at ‘The Leopards of Tomorrow’ Competition at Locarno 2008. His second film Lars and Peter is a sensitively told drama and screened In Competition at the Festival de Cannes in 2009.

His next short film Berik, is a remarkable and confronting film shot in Kazakstan with a small crew. This film was selected for Critics Week at Cannes 2010 and won the Grand Prix for ‘Best Short Film’. The film was also nominated for the European Film Academy Award in 2011.

The Weight of Elephants is a co-venture between the New Zealand Film Commission and the Danish Film Institute and Film i Väst with support from the Invercargill City Council and Southern Institute of Technology. It is the first unofficial co-production between the two countries.