Doc Edge presents: The Sound of Her Guitar (2016)

Donna Dean is one of New Zealand’s most respected songwriters — twice winner of New Zealand Country Music Album of the Year — an artist who has recorded and toured all over the world to critical acclaim.

But Donna’s has been no easy road. She grew up in Auckland’s Glen Innes in a home beset by alcoholism, abuse and violence. When she left home at 15, Donna found herself pregnant and, just like her mother, caught up in a violent relationship. She turned to alcohol to hide the pain.

But Donna’s mother had instilled in her daughter a profound love for music — and it was this, along with Donna’s willpower and determination, that would eventually give her a way out of the darkness — escaping a cycle of violence and addiction to become a successful and much-loved songwriter. The film follows Donna and her band on their recent tour of the United States, then finally brings her home to confront her past.

Directed by Bill Morris, NZ 2016. 75 mins