Waimihi Hotere and son Mahutonga, 9, act in the series of eight short films centred around the tangi of a boy, Waru, who died at the hands of his caregiver.
Waimihi Hotere and son Mahutonga, 9, act in the series of eight short films centred around the tangi of a boy, Waru, who died at the hands of his caregiver.
Acting runs in the family for a Te Awamutu mother and son who both star in the film Waru, which will hit New Zealand screens next month.
Waimihi Hotere and son Mahutonga, 9, act in the series of eight short films centred around the tangi of a boy, Waru, whodied at the hands of his caregiver.
The films were written and directed by nine Māori women who share their insights into the complexity of child abuse.
Each film was shot in one day last year on the West Coast of the North Island.
Mahutonga plays the character of Waru's friend, while Waimihi plays the role of an aunty.
"He has the opportunities to work with a script, create storyboards and do stop-motion animation."
Waimihi says Waru will be well received by New Zealand when it screens next month.
"Waru has so much breadth for discussing social issues and abuse."
"We as actors get to help people experience difficult emotions that they need to feel - we start the hard conversations."
Waru premiered at the New Zealand International Film Festival in September and had its international debut at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival this month.
It opens the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival in Toronto next month - a festival that supports the diverse, contemporary work of indigenous directors, producers and screenwriters.
