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Dead Certs

New Zealand 1995

Role: Phil Gerard

Director: Ian Mune

Script: Rawiri, Paratene

Company: Cinco Cine Film

Runtime: 52 minutes

Other Cast: Rawiri Paratene (as Hare, he won a TV Guide Television Award for this), Ginette McDonald (as Martha), Ken Blackburn, Vanessa Rare

Summary: "A story about love, luck, gambling and ghosts" (Ftvdb.bfi.org.uk) // "Hare makes his way to the TAB, but just before placing his bet, he learns of a fund raising effort to assist a young lass. He hands over his last $5 for the good cause. His friend Martha joins him in his dingy dwelling for a meal of fish and chips. After a few drinks, she drops dead. Martha's ghost follows Hare and encourages him to keep on betting. From a $5 first bet Hare wins $144,000 seven races later. He decides to go for 10 races all up since 'Lady Luck' was on his side. From the Otara TAB, Hare soon becomes a local celebrity on nation wide television. But, even though he wins each race his winnings quickly dwindle. Finally his last bet of $50,000 wins $5000. Realising he never bet for the money, he donates it all again to the young girl's cause and pays back the $5 he borrowed in the beginning. Upon returning to his dwelling Hare finds it is about to be demolished. He quickly makes an excuse for the workmen to check out the building next door. Hare then enters it to retrieve the body of his friend Martha. Through a terrible mishap Hare meets an unfortunate death. Locals pitch in to give both Hare and his friend Martha a proper funeral. Both finally appear in their spiritual forms wondering what everyone was doing at their grave site and if a TAB awaits them in the next world." (Filmarchive.co.nz)

Links: Ftvdb.bfi.org.uk: Dead Certs | Filmarchive.co.nz: Dead Certs | NZOnScreen: Dead Certs