THE HOUSE WITHIN: Trailer & Release Date Revealed For Acclaimed Dame Fiona Kidman Documentary
Ahead of its nationwide theatrical release on July 17, the highly anticipated trailer for The House Within, a documentary film on the life and work of internationally acclaimed New Zealand writer Dame Fiona Kidman, premiered on Saturday to a sold-out audience at the Auckland Writers Festival.
Directed by Joshua Prendeville, The House Within is the first-ever documentary to explore the personal and literary legacy of Dame Fiona Kidman - one of New Zealand's most respected and influential writers. At 84, Kidman remains a towering figure in the country's literary and cultural history.
' The House Within is a project very close to my heart, ' says Prendeville. 'I t's one that I feel was really important to do now, given Fiona's immense contribution to the arts, and social causes over her lifetime. Fiona has spent her life standing up for the rights of others and carving out a space for herself in industries where she was often the only woman in the room. '
' The film is more than a portrait of a literary icon,' the director adds. 'It's about the courage to speak one's truths, and the personal toll of doing so. '
The House Within shines a light on a truly maverick writer who overcame innumerable obstacles to establish her voice and place in the world of literature, and the cost of standing by those values over a lifetime.
THE HOUSE WITHIN, A PORTRAIT OF DAME FIONA KIDMAN,
IN CINEMAS ACROSS NEW ZEALAND FROM THURSDAY JULY 17, 2025
Written & Directed by Joshua Prendeville
Produced by Kerry Prendeville, Victoire Maderou & Joshua Prendeville
Vendetta Films is managing the NZ distribution
About the Film
The House Within is a documentary on the internationally celebrated New Zealand writer Dame Fiona Kidman (Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, Chevalier of the French Legion of Honour). The film explores the profound ways in which life and fiction become inextricably braided over time, tracing the deeply personal experiences that have shaped her voice and vision. Offering an intimate window into Kidman's fascinating and often tumultuous journey, the film captures her reflections on private losses, formative struggles, and the fire that drove her to tell stories that have resonated with readers around the world. It's a portrait of a literary maverick - and the emotional truths that made her fiction unforgettable.
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Jan Pryor I love both authors for different reasons. Damien scares the bejesus out of me with his gentle terrifying depiction of ageing; I adore the Chidge because she recognised my genius and awarded my short story 1st prize in a competition a few years ago. Susan Gresson I waited in line at the book launch for Pet because I wanted to tell Catherine that after reading Remote Sympathy several times and contemplating the different perspectives I couldn't decide where my sympathy lay. The book places the reader in a position not to judge but to feel what it was like to live in a period where moral issues were not only dangerous but ambivalent. She replied, 'I couldn't make up my mind either.' It is this quality of her work that I love. she doesn't prescribe, she allows the reader to embrace the character's perspective. 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