STALIN'S SICKLE & OTHER STORIES

Stalin's Sickle is a 30 minute dramatic film made in 1986. It was adapted from an original short story by Michael Morrissey by Anne Kennedy and directed by Costa Botes. The film won the jury prize at the 1988 Clermont-Ferrand Film Festival, and was screened in many countries around the world.

The film tells the story of 9 year old Daniel, a boy growing up in cold war New Zealand c. 1962. He becomes convinced that an old man who passes the collection plate at his church every Sunday is actually the notorious Soviet dictator, Joseph Stalin, and decides to do something about it.

This DVD also contains a collection of other short films either directed or written by Costa  Botes. These include Original Skin, a dark tale of artistic frustration, Valley of the Stereos, about an unusual war between neighbours; and Day Trip, about a scary gang member who decides to take a day off.