ONCE WERE WARRIORS (1994) - ♦♦♦♦

Directed by - Lee Tamahori

Written by - Riwia Brown (based on a novel by Alan Duff)

Starring - Rena Owen, Temuera Morrison, Mamaengaroa Kerr-Bell

"The story of a strong woman trying to keep her family together despite her husband’s violence, carelessness and alcoholism. The film is very graphic and daring in its honest portrayal of violence, capturing a great snapshot of the culture among the Maori descendants in New Zealand, with their poverty and their exploitation of their own heritage. A sinister and intense twist on the family drama plot, Tamahori’s film is not afraid to shock its audience and yet its brutality never feels out of place or unexplained but rather a brash and realistic portrayal of a nightmarish domestic situation."

Drama, New Zealand