Ka Whawhai Tonu
Book Tickets
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Once Were Warriors stars Temuera Morrison and Cliff Curtis reunite for an action-packed epic about Aotearoa's first land war, when vastly outnumbered Māori fought against colonial soldiers.
Celebrated Māori director Mike Jonathan’s Ka Whawhai Tonu boldly tells the story of a crucial battle in the first land wars fought in New Zealand’s Waikato region. Amidst the chaos of the infamous 1864 siege of Ōrākau, two teenagers must seize command of their destinies and fight for freedom. Facing insuperable odds, the Māori tribes defiantly stand their ground in a struggle for sovereignty against the relentless advance of colonial forces. Presented in te reo Māori, this ambitious historical drama tells the story of a critical moment in New Zealand history from a Māori perspective.
Haka Performance at the World Premiere of Ka Whawhai Tonu: At 7.45pm on Friday 14 June, around 100 of the NSW Kaihaka community will gather outside Town Hall to welcome and receive the taonga of the World Premiere screening at 8.35pm of Mike Jonathan's historical epic.Limited seats are available for patrons requiring access for wheelchairs, low vision and hearing loop. Please contact our ticketing team directly on 1300 733 733 or tickets@sff.org.au to complete your booking.
Special Guest
Michael Jonathan
Director
Michael Jonathan is a director and cinematographer with over 30 years of film and television experience, garnering recognition for his documentaries and short films. Born and raised in Taumarunui, Jonathan lensed the feature documentary Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen, and is the founder of Māori-led company Haka Boy Films.
- Program Strand
- First Nations Award
- Original Title
- STRUGGLE WITHOUT END
- Year
- 2024
- Classification
- Unclassified 15+
- Country
- New Zealand
- Language
- In Te Reo Māori and English with English subtitles
- Director
- Michael Jonathan
- Producer
- Piripi Curtis, Thomas Parkinson
- Cast
- Temuera Morrison, Miriama Smith, Jason Flemyng
- Screenwriter
- Tim Worrall
- Cinematographer
- Grant McKinnon
- Editor
- Te Rurehe Paki, Martin Brinkler
- Premiere
- World Premiere
- Genre
- First Nations, World Premieres, Human Rights, Biography
- Company Credits
- Australian Distributor: Transmission Films
