Ka Whawhai Tonu
2024
114min
Feature
Synopsis:
Set in Aotearoa New Zealand in 1864, Ka Whawhai Tonu tells the story of a pivotal battle in the first New Zealand land wars in the Waikato region. A battle fought with impossible odds between Māori and the Colonial forces. This heroic conflict is told through the eyes of two young teenagers forced to take control of their own destiny amidst the chaos of the battle and their escape.
Credits:
Festival/Awards:
2024 Sydney Film Festival – In Competition, First Nations Award, Toronto International Film Festival – Centrepiece, Hawai’i International Film Festival, Wairoa Māori Film Festival – Movies at the Marae, Aronui Indigenous Arts Festival, Hollywood Music in Media Awards – Nominated Best Song – Independent Film (Hold on to the Dream, written by Arli Liberman and Tiki Taane, performed by Arli Liberman, Tiki Taane, and Louis Baker), Nominated Best Score – Independent Film, Foreign Language (Arli Liberman, Tiki Taane)