Once Were Warriors: Where are they now?

The cast of Once Were Warriors when the film was released 20 years ago. Photo / Supplied

Once Were Warriors turns 20 this year and to mark the anniversary a documentary looking back at the famous film will be screened.

Maori Television will show Once Were Warriors: Where are they now? this month, catching up with the cast which included Rotorua actors Temuera Morrison and Cliff Curtis. The movie was based on the novel by Rotorua-born author Alan Duff which gave a hard-hitting depiction of gang and domestic violence, alcoholism, sexual abuse and suicide among an urban Maori whanau.

A documentary, Once Were Warriors: Where are they now? will screen on Maori Television this month, catching up with the cast as they reflect on one of the country's iconic movies. Photo / Supplied

The movie grossed $6 million within New Zealand and $30 million worldwide.

Cast member Julian Arahanga, who played eldest son Nig Heke, set out to track down his film family for an emotional Heke whanau reunion for the documentary.

Arahanga, a television producer and director, found the experience emotional, but not without its humour.

WRITER: Once Were Warriors was based on the novel written by Rotorua's Alan Duff. PHOTO/FILE

"To meet up with all the cast after 20 years and see where they are at in their lives has been really quite a privilege," he said. "After 20 years, everyone coming together was always going to be an emotional experience, but the thing is it didn't take long for the jokes to start.

"It reaffirmed for me the belief that everybody felt something special on that film."

As well as reuniting the Heke family - Temuera Morrison (Jake Heke), Rena Owen (Beth Heke), Mamaengaroa Pere (Grace Heke), Taungaroa Emile (Boogie Heke), Rachael Morris Tautau (Polly Heke), Joseph Kairau (Huata Heke) - others including Cliff Curtis and director Lee Tamahori also make an appearance.

Once Were Warriors: Where are they now? will screen on August 18 at 9.30pm. It is the first of Maori Television's new season of Pakipumeka New Zealand documentaries, on Mondays.