Director
James Napier Robertson, Paula Whetu Jones
Starring
Rena Owen, Miriama McDowell, Vinnie Bennett, James Rolleston, Matu Ngaropo
Run Time
111 mins
Release Year
2022
Country of Origin
New Zealand
Language
English, Māori
Director of Photography: Leon Narbey
Editor: Chris Plummer, John Gilbert
Produced by: Matthew Metcalfe, Tainui Stephens, Liz Adams
Music: Dana Lund
Screenplay by: James Lucas, Paul Whetu-Jones, James Napier Robertson
Production Designer: Shayne Radford
Sound Production: Ben Sinclair
Whina
Part of the The Chamber Strand
This sweeping drama tells the life story of Dame Whina Cooper, who in 1975 united her people to lead an epic march across Aotearoa (New Zealand) for Maori land rights and became known as became Te Whaea o te Motu (Mother of the Nation). Rena Owen (Once Were Warriors) offers a stirring performance as the elderly Whina, her steely resolve and humanity offering a moving conclusion to a film whose message resonates for contemporary communities across the globe. [15]