Waru

Eight female Māori directors have each contributed a ten minute vignette, presented as a continuous shot in real time, that unfolds around the tangi (funeral) of a small boy (Waru) who died at the hands of his caregiver. The vignettes are all...
New Zealand Production
Feature 2017 Drama 86.00 minutes
CHARM CHOSEN TAKE FULL RES 00 01 09 21 Still001 copy
WARU is a feature film made up of eight 10 minute short films, each written and directed by Māori women film makers. Following the death of a child, eight Māori women are confronted by guilt, pride and defeat but will ultimately risk everything for the greater good of their community.
Wairoa Maori Film Festival
Grand Jury Prize for Outstanding International Narrative Feature
2017: NZIFF
Toronto International Film Festival
ImagineNATIVE
WINDA
Hawaii International Film Festival
Aspen Film Festival
2018: Available Light Film Festival
Skábmagovat Film Festival Finland
Cinema Politica, Montreal
Te Kuki Airani Film Festival, Cook Islands
San Diego Asian Film Festival
LA Asian Pacific Film Festival (Grand Jury Prize for Outstanding International Narrative Feature)
Maoriland Film Festival
Palm Springs International Film Festival
Smithsonian Native Cinema Showcase
Santa Fe
Edinburgh Film Festival
Seattle International Film Festival
Asinabka Film & Media Arts Festival, Canada
Down Under Film Festival - Germany
WNDX Festival of Moving Image, Winnipeg
FEM&IST Film Festival, Melbourne
Aussie & Kiwi Film Festival, Prague
Dharamshala International Film Festival, India
Objectifs Centre Singapore - Women In Film Program
Reel Reservations, Canada
Asian Film Festival Barcelona, Spain
Rotorua Indigenous Film Festival
Glasgow Feminist Arts Festival - Femspectives
2019: Weengushk Film Festival Ontario, Canada
Berlin Feminist Week
Utah Pacific Island Film Series
Garifuna Intl Indigenous Film Festival, Venice CA
NZ Film Festival Russia (Moscow)
Cannes Antipodes Film Festival

Directors

Briar Grace-Smith
Casey Kaa
Ainsley Gardiner
Katie Wolfe
Renae Maihi
Chelsea Cohen
Paula Whetu Jones
Awanui Simich-Pene

Producers

Kerry Warkia
Kiel McNaughton

Screenplay Writers

Briar Grace-Smith
Casey Kaa
Ainsley Gardiner
Katie Wolfe
Renae Maihi
Chelsea Cohen
Paula Whetu Jones
Josephine Stewart-Te Whiu

Crew

Drew Sturge | DOP
Riria Lee | Production Designer
Lindah Lepou | Costume Designer
Lauren King | Music

Production Company

Distributor

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