Tag: New Zealand Cinema

Sins of Father’ is one of recurrent theme in cinematic medium, where the prodigal son would return home to reflect on his past and learn few dark secrets about his family. The theme had been covered to the point of turning it into a cliché. Initially, the characters and the situation they find themselves in “In My Father’s Den” seem a bit banal. Celebrated war photographer Paul Prior (Mathew MacFadyen), who had run away from home as a teenager, returns back to the small New Zealand hometown (after 17 years) to attend his father’s funeral. His elder brother Andrew (Colin Moy) didn’t expect that Paul would return. Andrew has married an ultra-religious woman named Penny (Miranda Otto) whom Paul thinks bears some resemblance to their own deceased, religious mother. Andrew’s teenage son Jonathan (Jimmy Keen) seems to be a lonely, introverted kid. The old photos and brief flashbacks indicate that some dismal thing had happened in their past. The alienated Paul after an argument with his brother decides to stay for few days to help out with selling of their old house, other properties, etc.