A sequence of events sees Josh embrace his community and his whakapapa Māori, taking him and his whānau on a journey towards healing.
Rolleston plays Josh’s big brother Jamie. This was a full circle moment for Rolleston.
“It’s funny how things kind of come back around. When I saw Julian on Hunt for the Wilderpeople, I always thought it would be awesome to act with this young man. Both working our first jobs with Taika Waititi and now to be acting as siblings together on this film, is pretty cool, I think,” said Rolleston.
Driver plays an integral role as Josh and Jamie’s mother and Darby plays Brother Madigan, an English and drama teacher who has a profound impact on Josh’s life when he encourages his interest in drama.
“This character Madigan resonates for me because I had a drama teacher that did the same thing for me” Darby said.
Co-directors Middleditch and Bennett said: “Josh has never felt like he fits, and although his set of circumstances are unique to him, that feeling of not fitting in is one that many of us have felt in our lives. Uproar places value on these differences, prioritises understanding people rather than judging them, and advocates strongly for the voices of the younger generation as agents of change and evolution. Uproar is a story of hope.
“This film is full of heart, for all communities and ages, and tells an important story that everyone will find a connection to. We certainly made Uproar for the big screen, and we can’t wait for you all to come together and check it out.”
Bennett said that at the world premiere in Toronto a lot of parallels were drawn between the Black Lives Matter movement and the situation for Indigenous people in Canada. “There are huge parallels that remain,” he said.
“As much as it was a very specific time in New Zealand’s history, I am a big believer in the idea that the more specific you make something the more universal it becomes. That was certainly the case with this.”
Uproar uses the defining question, “Whaddarya?”. In the context of the film, it is a question Dennison’s character is asking of himself, Bennett says.
“Whaddarya? Who am I? It’s the question he’s been wanting to answer throughout most of the film, and he ultimately does that with the haka, which takes his desire to perform and combines it with an affirmation of the pride and strength he finds in his Māori heritage. What are you? I’m this.” — Scoop
