DIRECTOR: Ana Lily Amirpour
PRODUCERS: John Lesher, Dylan Weathered, Adam Mirels, Robbie Mirels
PRODUCTION CO: Rocket Science, Le Grisbi Productions, 141 Entertainment
SCREENPLAY: Ana Lily Amirpour
PHOTOGRAPHY: Pawel Pogorzelski
EDITOR: Taylor Levy
MUSIC: Daniele Luppi
WITH: Kate Hudson (Bonnie 'Bonnie Belle' Hunt), Jun Jong-seo (Mona Lisa Lee), Craig Robinson (Officer Harold), Ed Skrein (Fuzz), Evan Whitten (Charlie Hunt)

FESTIVALS: Venice

REVIEW

“At first glance, Mona Lisa looks like she wouldn’t hurt a fly. But appearances can deceive. Mona has a very special gift — the psychokinetic ability to control the actions of others. Using her lethal powers of persuasion to escape the psychiatric facility in which she has been locked up, Mona flees to New Orleans where she meets street smart-stripper Bonnie and her wise-beyond-his-years pre-teen son.

Excited to exploit her new friend’s talents, Bonnie convinces Mona to swindle the skeezy punters at her strip joint out of their hard-earned dollars. But the pair best beware — although they’re raking in the cash, the police are closing in. With its down-and-dirty punk charm, Ana Lily Amirpour’s wickedly subversive, adult fairy-tale is a truly wild ride, bursting with wit, imagination, and perhaps most surprisingly, a huge beating heart.”

– Michael Blyth, London Film Festival 2021

“Mona Lisa’s mash-up of genre influences feels refreshing, occasionally even exhilarating, especially when the killer electronic score kicks into gear… Amirpour always gives us something to look at too: the colours pop… Through the lens of Hereditary cinematographer Pawel Pogorzelski, New Orleans is a goldfish bowl filled with lost souls on one final bender.… It’s irresistible fun.”

– Phil de Semlyen, Time Out

FILM SOCIETY SCREENINGS

Nelson 
Wednesday, 01 April, 6.00pm

Whanganui 
Monday, 20 April, 7.00pm

​Timaru  
Tuesday, 01 September, 6.30pm

​Palmerston North  
Wednesday, 23 September, 6.00pm

​​Wellington  
Monday, 19 October, 6.00pm

​Wellington  
Monday, 19 October, 8.30pm

​Auckland  
Monday, 09 November, 6.15pm
WORLD CINEMA  >>