Waru

"Chances are, you’ve never witnessed anything like Waru. This isn’t because of its multi-narrative one-shot structure - comparable to 2005’s Nine Lives - and the actual reason for Waru’s uniqueness isn’t a positive one. With only two feature films credited to female Māori directors, Merata Mita's Mauri and Ramai Hayward's To Love a Māori, the voices of Aotearoa’s native women haven’t been heard enough in cinema. With Waru, the film's eight directors deliver an emotional shout into that silence, and it carries the spread and whaea power of a shotgun."

"Compelling, often surprisingly funny, indelibly moving and occasionally jaw-droppingly brilliant."

"Even if some scenes resonate less than others, the overall impact of Waru is stunning and it is impossible not to be moved and impressed in equal measure."

"Passion is a thrilling, guiding element to this film; the thematic dedication to exploring the Maori culture dealing with this grief is just the beginning."

"Waru stands a sturdy testament to the way film can generate resonant art from difficult subject matter. All New Zealanders should see it."

"It's an electrifying commitment to culture and in many ways it feels uniquely New Zealand."

"Waru is confronting, thick with grief, rage, a guilty impotence and a tormented desperation."

"This doesn’t always work – a sequence about the media is a bit heavy-handed – but when it does, it’s mind-altering."

"A fascinating glimpse into New Zealand's contemporary Maori community, Waru brings a sense of dramatic, urgent realism to a story that plays out like a suspenseful mystery."

"The best New Zealand drama in years."