11.50am April 13, 2002. 

A sunny, Saturday morning in a sleepy suburb of Wellington, New Zealand.  A woman takes her eight month old daughter and her nieces for their regular walk, down the road to the park.

One family’s normal day is about to become an unimaginable nightmare, as a balaclava-wearing, gun-wielding stranger leaps from a car and steals the baby.

No missing persons case in recent New Zealand history gripped the nation more than the kidnapping of baby Kahu Durie.  The adopted daughter of Maori High Court Judge, Justice Eddie Durie, and prominent lawyer, Donna Hall, Baby Kahu is snatched at gunpoint, sparking a massive police manhunt.

The nine days that follow are a gut-wrenching, agonizing time for the family, and for the New Zealand public, as they watch, gripped by brave television appeals for the baby’s safe return.

Meanwhile, kidnapper Terence Traynor is ruthlessly carrying out what he believes is the perfect crime – a crime five years in the planning.  Following Donna Hall’s emotional public plea, a letter arrives containing polaroids of the baby, and a ransom demand for three million dollars – the biggest in New Zealand history.

Out of the public eye, the police, led by Detective Inspector Stuart Wildon, work tirelessly, carrying out reconstructions of the crime and following up every possible lead – including hoax calls that claim the baby is dead.  Slowly, but surely, the net closes, eventually focusing on a secluded house in a small country town.

As Donna and Eddie, their extended family - and the New Zealand public – wait and hope, Wildon and his team know that one wrong step could have devastating consequences.

STOLEN is an emotional thriller based on a real life crime story that plays to every parent’s greatest fears.

STOLEN is based on a true story and was written by Tim Balme (Outrageous Fortune, The Almighty Johnsons, Brown Brothers).  The 85-minute telefeature was directed by Britta Johnstone (Go Girls, Outrageous Fortune), and produced by Chris Hampson (Kaitangata Twitch, Diplomatic Immunity) for South Pacific Pictures.

STOLEN was made with funding from NZ On Air’s Platinum Fund.

CAST

DONNA HALL  MIRIAMA SMITH
DETECTIVE INSPECTOR STUART WILDON  SCOTT WILLS
JUSTICE EDDIE DURIE  GEORGE HENARE
TERENCE TRAYNOR NICK BLAKE
BABY KAHU JEZELLA GILBERT
JARMIE PIRIPI MARK RUKA
ANAHA  MOREHU MARIA WALKER
WARWICK MOREHU TE KOHE TUHAKA
DS LARRY REID PETER HAMBLETON
DETECTIVE SALLY HOLLAND ROZ TURNBULL
SGT DENISE TRAILL MIRIAMA MCDOWELL
DS GLEN TURNER FRASER BROWN
DS PETER BURT JASON HOYTE
DS LIAM CLINTON PHIL BROWN
TV REPORTER BONNIE SOPER
TV CAMERAMAN MICK INNES
ERANA TE WAIMARIE KESSELL
MANUMEA RICKYLEE RUSSELL-WAIPUKA
MARIAN MELANIE JONES
POLICE COMMISSIONER ROBINSON STEPHEN LOVATT
STEPHEN RANSON WILL WALLACE
MICHAEL CULLEN, MINISTER OF FINANCE GEOFFREY SNELL
YACHT CLUB COMMODORE WILLIAM WALKER
BONITA MOREHU MABEL WHAREKAWA-BURT
JOHN THEYERS MARK CLARE
DETECTIVE JAROD RAWIRI
CONSTABLE 1 ROY SNOW
KIRIAUAHI PIRIPI MONEESHA BARRETT
IHARAIA PIRIPI FIN RETI
NEWBORN BABY KAHU RAIKEN SAINT HALA 

CREW

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER JOHN BARNETT
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER CHRIS BAILEY
PRODUCER CHRIS HAMPSON
LINE PRODUCER CARMEN J LEONARD
PRODUCTION MANAGER SHARRON JACKSON
PRODUCTION CO-ORDINATOR LINDA FENWICK
PRODUCTION SECRETARY JAYNA KESHA
PRODUCTION RUNNER ANT DAVIES
DIRECTOR BRITTA JOHNSTONE
PRODUCTION ACCOUNTANT LEE-ANN HASSON
ASSISTANT ACCOUNTANT SHEREE SILVER 
1ST AD SHANE WARREN
2ND AD SEAN MOBBS
3RD AD KATE HARGREAVES
SCRIPT SUPERVISOR SARAH BRINSDON
LOCATION MANAGER BENNY TATTON
LOCATION ASSISTANT RICK WAITE
UNIT MANAGER PAUL FLEMING
UNIT ASSISTANT DOMINIC STONES
DOP MARTY SMITH
GAFFER ANTONY WATERHOUSE
KEY GRIP GARY ILLINGWORTH
ASSISTANT GRIP CONRAD HOSKINS
SOUND RECORDIST MYK FARMER
PRODUCTION DESIGNER CLAYTON ERCOLANO
ART DEPT CO-ORDINATOR LIA NEILSON
SET DRESSER CHRISTIAAN ERCOLANO
ART DIRECTOR CRAIG WILSON
STANDBY PROPS AMY BRIDSON
ART ASSIST TASHA LANG
CONSTRUCTION MANAGER BRIAN ROBERTSON
CARPENTER REG FERGUSON
CARPENTER NEIL MURRAY
COSTUME DESIGNER KATRINA HODGE
COSTUME DESIGN ASSISTANT REWA LEWIS
COSTUME BUYER SALLY-ANN MULLIN
COSTUME DRESSER PETRA VERWEIJ
COSTUME STANDBY CARMEL RATA 
KEY MAKEUP DESIGNER KEVIN DUFTY
KEY MAKEUP ARTIST JO FOUNTAIN
CATERING ROCK SALT CATERING 
CASTING DIRECTOR CHRISTINA ASHER
SAFETY LIFEGUARD & SAFETY
SAFETY OFFICER KARL KOLLER
STUNT CO-ORDINATOR MARK HARRIS
EDITOR  ALLANAH MILNE
POST PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR GRANT BAKER
POST PRODUCTION CO-ORDINATOR GWEN MCDONNELL
SOUND POST PRODUCTION STEVE FINNIGAN
PUBLICIST TAMAR MUNCH
STILLS PHOTOGRAPHER JAE FREW
WRITER TIM BALME