Waru

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.

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 subtly interlinked and each follows one of eight female Māori lead characters during the same moment in time as they come to terms with Waru's death and try to find a way forward in their community. In Māori, “waru” means 8.

Mere’s story has been told over and over again but usually it has a different ending. As a doco maker of social issues I have heard many stories of the most horrific sexual, physical and emotional abuse. The survivors all tell of the fear, powerlessness and shame they felt and often still do.  So writing MERE for me was an opportunity to give her strength to confront the abuse, head on.

The tokotoko stick embodies the wairua not only of her Nanny but of all the ancestors that possessed it before her… it has a power.  Mere possesses it, she has power and she finds her voice when she knows she is not alone.

Of course there’s the back story and a more brutal ending for the abusers in my long version of Mere’s story however, the power of MERE’s story lies in her confrontation of the abuser and of the community at large.  She calls people out. “You know whats going on… when is it going to stop? How many of us have to die before we say “enough!”

Having never made a film before the restrictions weren't as daunting for me as I had nothing to compare the film making experience to. The single shot, the female lead, the story that had to revolve around the death of a child, and the fast turnaround, meant I had to trust in those more experienced than me to help, guide, support, and mostly believe in the story that was to become MERE.

I feel privileged that my first foray into the film world I was wrapped around by some of the best female writer directors in the industry… it was a no brainer, I couldn't fail with that much love, care and experience around me. I just hoped that i wasn't going to let the team down!

To be honest, my biggest challenge was a physical challenge. My mobility as in stairs, doors, gravel, inclines, hills, uneven surfaces and spaces I cant fit into… I’m in a chair and I am also a hands on director so I was stressing out about how I was going to direct this piece. My film was shot outside and covered a lot of ground but this was made easier for me when Kevin Halsall from Ogo Technology in Otaki bought me up an Ogo, which is a segway wheelchair.  This alleviated all of my mobility and access woes… I just needed to learn how to drive it causing the least damage to people and property.

Being my first short film and having the one shot non-negotiable wasn't as daunting for me as I didn't have anything to compare it to.  As I mentioned I had great support so I knew we would make something quite special as a team.