Matariki
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Michael Bennett
Edwin Wright
Mark Ruka
Jarod Rawiri
Sara Wiseman
Michael Bennett
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
The stars of the Pleiades constellation come together to mark the Matariki--the Maori New Year and a time of new beginnings--as do the five intersecting stories of a South Auckland community. It is New Year's Eve and Gunge finds that his debt to a ruthless drug dealer sets off a chain of events that rip through his South Auckland neighborhood. After intervening in a beating, star rugby player Tama finds his own life in jeopardy. His wife, Megan, comes into conflict with Tama's Maori family over decisions concerning his care. Tama's brother Rick is so rocked by the tragedy that he is forced to confront his own secrets and his allegiance to Maori values. Meanwhile, teenager Aleki struggles to find his identity in a new home. Transplanted from a small island in the South Pacific to the multicultural community of South Auckland, Aleki feels caught between his father's traditional values and the new culture that surrounds him. Nearby, Lisa, who is nine months pregnant and devoted to her drug addicted boyfriend, begins to suspect that he may not make the best father for her baby.
Director
Michael Bennett
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Miscellaneous Notes
Released in Canada 2010
Released in Canada 2010 (Shown at Toronto International Film Festival (Contemporary World Cinema) September 9-19, 2010.)
