Matariki is a 2010 New Zealand drama film set in Ōtara, South Auckland. The film is told through five interweaving stories all set in the days leading to the rising of Matariki. The film incorporates a variety of languages including English, Māori, Tokelauan, Samoan, and Cantonese. It features an ensemble cast and is the feature debut for actors Susana Tang and Jason Wu. The film was funded by the New Zealand Film Commission.
Plot
It is New Year's Eve and Gunge (Edwin Wright) finds that his debt to a ruthless drug dealer sets off a chain of events that rip through his South Auckland neighbourhood. After bravely intervening in a beating, star rugby player Tama (Mark Ruka) finds his own life in jeopardy. His wife, Megan (Sara Wiseman), comes into conflict with Tama's Māori family over decisions concerning his care. Tama's brother Rick (Jarod Rawiri) is so rocked by the tragedy that he is forced to confront his own secrets and his allegiance to Maori values.
Meanwhile, teenaged Aleki (Jason Wu) struggles to find his identity in a new home. Transplanted from a small island in the South Pacific to the vibrant, multicultural community of South Auckland, Aleki feels caught between his father's traditional values and the temptations of his new culture. Nearby, Lisa (Alix Bushnell), who is nine months pregnant and devoted to her drug addicted boyfriend (Michael Whalley), begins to suspect that he may not make the best father for her baby.
Ideas for the script began in the mid-1990s after director Michael Bennett saw a one-man stage play by Iaheto Ah Hi about his Tokelauan cousin named Aleki (Ah Hi subsequently went on to play lead character Tyrone in the film). Filming began in April 2009 with it almost entirely shot in Ōtara, South Auckland.[1] Many locals were used as extras in the film (including location manager Damion Nathan), especially during scenes set in the Ōtara markets. Post production was partially done in Peter Jackson's Park Road Post studios.[2]
Matariki (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) was composed by Don McGlashan. 'What Love Can Do' was written for Matariki by McGlashan and sung by Bella Kalolo. The soundtrack was given a 4 out of 5 rating by The New Zealand Herald.
The film received highly positive reviews. The New Zealand Herald gave Matariki 4 stars out of 5, calling the film "dramatic and affecting". Critic Peter Calder praised the film as "a touching series of intersecting stories about the fragility of life and the redeeming power of love", and described the soundtrack by composer Don McGlashan as "a cracker".[4] Graeme Tuckett of The Dominion Post gave the film a 4 out of 5 star review saying it "won me over" and that the relationships in the film have a "lovely and unforced believability". 3 News movie reviewer Kate Rogers awarded the film 3 and a half stars out 4 describing the "multicultural heart" as one of the film's strengths. Actor Temuera Morrison who saw the film in Toronto, said he was "absolutely blown away" and described the film as a "slice of reality in South Auckland".
