Waru (2017)
Dir. Various / Dur. 86 mins
In A Nutshell:- Eight interlinked tales taking place on the morning of the funeral of eight year old Waru.
The Good:- It’s a film with a strong sense of identity focussing on predominantly female Maori characters in New Zealand on a single day; a day linked by the funeral of eight year old Maori boy Waru. Given the event that sits at the core of these linked vignettes, it’s no surprise that Waru is a difficult watch at times, dealing with topics such as death, grieving, trauma, alcoholism and abuse all within the framework of an indigenous people trying to maintain a cultural identity in a land that has been colonised. It is heavy stuff - that’s not to say that there aren’t moments of levity - but it;s a film that will have an impact upon you.
The cast are strong, standouts in particular being Tanea Heke as Charm, Ngapaki Moetara as Mihi and the youngest lead of the film Acacia Hapi as Mere whose rejection of an abusive “uncle” is a standout moment in the film.
The Bad:- As with any anthology, some segments are more successful than others. The only one for me that didn't quite land as hoped was the “Kiri” segment as that was largely because it felt, to me, a little heavy-handed in getting its point across (which is a shame as its an important point that the film was trying to convey).
The Verdict:- A film that builds to become equal to the sum of its parts, this is a powerful and, for me, fascinating and female-led insight into a culture that I know very little about. Definitely one to watch.
(A Note About Venue:- I saw this at the Regent’s Street Cinema in London which I had never been to before. It was the first cinema in the country to show moving pictures apparently. It’s recently been converted back into a cinema after being a lecture hall for many years and it looks like the traditional old image of a cinema [largely because it’s the template!]. It’s a lovely venue and worth checking out if you’re a fan of indie films.)
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