High-End Drama

Director Lee Tamahori’s new Sundance film The Devil’s Double, a violent glimpse at Saddam Hussein’s notorious son Uday and his unwilling body double, is a chance for the 60-year-old, he says, to prove once again that he can direct visually compelling dramas — without breaking the bank. “I’ve become quite adept at taking a little money and making it look like a studio film,” Tamahori said. “My hopes are always to do high-end dramatic films.” Tamahori assumes he’s always going to be seen in the same light. “No one is going to offer me comedies or musicals,” the director says. “But if you make a good film, people will keep employing you.” Tamahori’s first feature was the 1994 Once Were Warriors, a film festival favourite.