(New Zealand, 2010)

matarikimovie.com

It’s the Maori New Year, Matariki – a time for new beginnings. As the Pleiades constellation rises in the Southern skies, the lives of eight people are affected by one random act.

Aleki, a master car thief who dreams of navigating by the stars, crosses paths with rebellious teenage girl Spit and faces his future. Rugby league star Tama saves the life of desperate Gunge - an act of heroism that brings tragedy to his own family. Rick, Tama’s brother, learns to stand up for himself and Megan, Tama’s wife, comes to accept the love that surrounds her; while Lisa, pregnant and wishing on angels, finds a real angel in Tyrone, a big-hearted man who sells Matariki icons in the weekend markets.

"Matariki is a film that wears its heart on its sleeve, but it's a good heart, and the sleeve feels like the right place for it to be worn. If you haven't seen a decent, likeable and accessible drama for a while, this low-budget gem could restore your faith. It's not perfect, but I liked it a great deal." - Graeme Tuckett, The Dominion Post

"This is an extremely well-made film. Alun Bollinger’s cinematography is characteristically superb, as is Don McGlashan’s beautifully judged score. Editing so many disparate strands for narrative consistency was a challenge handled well by John Gilbert – there’s no time to relax into a particular storyline before you’re thrown headlong into the next – and while the whole thing could have easily have fallen apart, Michael Bennett does a fine job of holding it all together to achieve a comprehensive ‘whole’. In some of its plot details Matiriki feels unconvincing and contrived, the mix of gritty realism and notions of a romanticised ‘destiny’ awkward. Not wanting to give anything away I’ll just mention the fate of the baby (yeah right!), which is a serious flaw given that it carries the weight of the hopeful resolution, and the bits of business with the old lady are plain silly. Balancing that, for much of the time the narrative bounces along nicely (the storyline about Gunge and his wounded dog Baby deserves mention here – it doesn’t miss a beat) and the Otara market scenes are superb. Most gratifying is seeing the top class performances from the ensemble cast where, from long-time actor Sara Wiseman to first-timers Susana Tang and Jason Wu and all the others in between, there is not a single false note. " - Helen Martin, ONFILM

Credits:
Director: Michael Bennett
Writer: Michael Bennett and Gavin Strawhan
Original Writer: Gavin Strawhan, Michael Bennett and IaHeto Ah Hi
Producer: Fiona Copland
Production Company: Filmwork
Editor: John Gilbert
Composer: Don McGlashan
Production Designer: Miro Harre
Costume Designer: Jane Holland
With: Jason Wu, Susana Tang, Sara Wiseman, Mark Ruka, Jarod Rawiri, IaHeto Ah Hi, Alix Bushnell, Michael Whalley, Edwin Wright