Screening

About Waru

Rating:

Not rated Not rated

Year Released:

2017

Format:

2K DCP

Genres:

Drama

Metadata:

Directed by Briar Grace-Smith, Casey Kaa, Ainsley Gardiner, Katie Wolfe, Renae Maihi, Chelsea Cohen, Paula Jones, Awanui Simich-Pene

In Māori, waru means “eight.” Following the death of a child, eight Māori women are confronted by guilt, pride, and defeat, but all will ultimately risk everything for the greater good of their community. Creating this feature-length film, eight Māori women filmmakers each contributed a 10-minute vignette—presented as a continuous shot in real time—which unfold around the tangi (funeral) of a small boy, Waru, who died at the hands of his caregiver. The vignettes are all subtly interlinked, each following one of eight female Māori lead characters during the same moment in time as they come to terms with Waru’s death and try to find a way forward in their community. In English and Māori with English subtitles.