Standing next to the vampire Vladislav is terrifying. He has extremely pale skin, fangs and a very deep voice. It's hard to hold a microphone while standing in a slightly damp tent packed with media, centimetres away from a 800-year-old vampire, who happens to bear a striking resemblance to the Flight of the Conchords’ Jemaine Clement. It's especially hard when he is looking deep into your eyes.
Vladislav, and his flatmate Viago held a media conference last night to unveil the Wellington sign on Miramar hill being changed to “Vellington”. Wellington has officially been declared “vampire-friendly” in support of the film What We Do in the Shadows.
“I think it’s just a great thing for Wellington to be supporting vampires and documentaries about vampires, said Viago (or Oscar-nominated Taika Waititi).
Vladislav says the film will attract a lot of vampires to Wellington.
“So thanks for that,” Viago said. “Maybe not a great thing for the human community to have an influx of killing vampires. But... oh well. Too bad.”
Viago, Vladislav, and Wellignton mayor Celia "Vade"-Brown Photo: Lena Hesselgrave
“There are a few vampire politicians,” says Vladislav, whose age is listed on Wikipedia as 862; “they can’t be named for legal reasons”.
“Some of them have convinced people of some pretty crazy stuff, so yeah, they’re definitely in there,” Viago interjects, implying hypnotism may be part of the political scene.
Photo: Lena Hesselgrave
What We Do in The Shadows has its New Zealand premiere in Auckland on June 13; there is a Wellington premiere on June 18 and the film will be released June 19.