Waru
Directors Briar Grace-Smith, Ainsley Gardiner, Renae Maihi, Casey Kaa, Awanui Simich-Pene, Chelsea Cohen, Katie Wolfe, Paula Jones | 2017 | 86 minutes | Drama | New Zealand | English, Māori
Official Selection – TIFF 2017
Comprised of eight single-take vignettes by a group of female Maori directors, WARU documents the funeral of a young Maori boy and how his death affects members of his family and community. WARU is a complex reflection on tragedy, responsibility, and the intimate grain of a community united in the face of grief.
““3/4 Stars! A powerful chorus of female Maori voices.”
–The Globe and Mail
““Waru brings a sense of dramatic, urgent realism to a story that plays out like a suspenseful mystery.”
The Hollywood Reporter
““Passion is a thrilling, guiding element to this film.”
–RogerEbert.com
““A powerful film, stunningly told.”
–Marama Davidson
““Urgent, heart-wrenching, challenging”
–The Spinoff
““The best New Zealand drama in years”
–Birth. Movies. Death.
Jonny Brugh (What We Do in the Shadows)
Miriama McDowell (The Dark Horse)
Tanea Heke
Roimata Fox
Maria Walker (Rage)
Acacia Hapi
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