Pike River
Sunday November 16th @ 2:30pm
Doors, Box Office and Concessions open at 2:00pm
Tickets Available Now
$10 General Admission
$9 Senior, Student, Veteran
$50 HIFF PASS (Festival Pass is good for all 11 HIFF films. Pass must be picked up at our box office prior to attending your first HIFF screening, and presented to the usher each screening that you plan to attend.)
*All Sales Final. Tickets and Passes are non-refundable or transferable.
Seating is open.
North American Premiere | New Zealand, Aotearoa
Drama, Environmental, Historical Drama, Mental Health | 131 minutes | English
Director: Rob Sarkies
Cast: Melanie Lynskey, Robyn Malcolm, Lucy Lawless
PIKE RIVER is the powerful true story of Anna Osborne (Melanie Lynskey, HEAVENLY CREATURES, YELLOWJACKETS) and Sonya Rockhouse (Robyn Malcolm), and their fight for justice following New Zealand’s deadliest modern mining disaster. In 2010, a massive explosion trapped 29 men inside the Pike River coal mine in the remote West Coast of New Zealand. This deeply moving film portrays the friendship that grew between Anna, who lost her husband Milt, and Sonya, who lost her youngest son, Ben. Drawing strength from the other they rebuild their shattered lives and gradually discover the scale of the betrayal they’ve endured. Together they find the courage to fight back against the mining bosses, the judiciary and the government. Their joint efforts shake the nation. Capturing their heroism with great sensitivity, PIKE RIVER is an inspiring account of the power of friendship.
Directed by Robert Sarkies and written by Fiona Samuel, PIKE RIVER captures the heroism of these two “ordinary women” with great sensitivity, chutzpah, and resilience. Both Lynskey and Rockhouse (as Anna and Robyn, respectively), are at the top of their game, bringing this incredible true story to the big screen that became a catalyst in New Zealand political history.













