Kia Kaha

A “A Film By Ashleigh Monk” FILM
WRITTEN BY Ashleigh Monk

On the 22nd of February 2011 many innocent Cantabrians were shaken by an earthquake that tested survival skills, affected lifestyles and stole lives. This film documents the experiences of three people and follows both their hardships and triumphs. The characters in this film are fictitious; however they will no doubt be relatable to many Christchurch individuals.

Kate was walking to her favourite bakery in the city centre for her lunch break when the wrath of yet another aftershock nearly sent her to the pavement. But this wasn’t just any aftershock; it felt so much worse than the ones after September. Panic set in as she stumbled through frantic crowds and debris, making her way to the CTV building where her husband was working…. Her calls and texts remained unanswered from him and she prayed he was alright….

Charlie awoke on the 22nd of September in unknown surroundings. He recalled the screams and shouts of his workmates in the CTV building when another monstrous quake hit. That was the last thing he could remember. Surrounded by darkness and numerous hard objects Charlie must work out exactly where he is in the collapsed structure and locate his cellphone. As Charlie struggles for life in the depths of the wreckage, he prays that someone will hear his cries for help….

Benjamin, otherwise known to his fellow fire-fighters as “Butch “, didn’t expect much work on the quiet Tuesday, But when he felt the aggressive shake he knew it was bad, more so than the September quake. When he arrived in the CBD he saw the destruction, heard the desperate cries of people who were trying to locate things under the rubble. They were trying to get to the people that were trapped. It was so much worse than Butch could have ever imagined….