Vincent Ward  +  

Year:

1977

On country roads between Greytown and Martinborough, there once lived a woman with an affinity for animals who some local children had come to know as the town witch. Rain or shine, the witch struggled away on her antique push bike, carting eggs for sale on tiered open pallets to the Greytown shops. She wore a brown colored sou'wester oil coat and often traveled with a suitcase, and had an infectious laughter that seemed like a cackle. She had missing front teeth and a shock of white hair that sort of exploded out of her head. She lived alone but whenever she'd open the door to her cottage a bunch of chooks and cats would pop out. She had three children who'd left home and was a widow, and did remarkably fine embroidery but could also confidently chop the head off a chicken.

Made in 1977, Ma Olsen is the earliest surviving film by Vincent Ward. Shot on 16mm film stock it has recently been fully restored and digitised. 

Running time: 15 mins