The film was funded by several parties including the New Zealand Film Commission, New Zealand On Air, Māori Television, Entertainment One, Wild Bunch, and several private equity investors. In addition, it was the first New Zealand film to be funded through the Snowball Effect equity crowdfunding platform. While the source novel Bulibasha: King of the Gypsies is set in New Zealand's Gisborne District, principal photography for the film took place in the countryside outside of Auckland, the country's largest city.
The film stars Temuera Morrison, Akuhata Keefe, Nancy Brunning, Jim Moriarty, Regan Taylor, Maria Walker, Sienna MacKinlay, Tuhiwhakauraoterangi Wallace-Ihakara, Kyra McRae, Eds Eramiha, Ngahuia Piripi, Yvonne Porter, and Te Kohe Tuhaka. The uniformly powerful performances, especially Morrison and Keefe, gave the tale unexpected power and depth. The cast, all of them of Maori descent, are wonderful to look at. They also deliver authoritative yet sympathetic performances that get at the roots, or rootlessness, of their characters. Keefe, who plays Simeon, had never acted before, and neither have a couple of the other key players. But under the careful direction of Tamahori, they all do credible and forceful work.
Tamahori's direction is consistently sharp and the film showcases two immensely powerful performances by Morrison and Keefe. The silent raging energy of this New Zealand film looms around you, and hits you like a smack in the face. The barren lives of members of a Maori family are rigorously exposed in this rugged and painful picture, based on Ihimaera's novel. The Maori milieu, however, is something we haven't seen before, and the images stay with you. The film is filled with memorable images, solid acting and a keen sense of place and character, but without even realizing it, Tamahori has also told a story about sub-cultures far from his own home. It is a painful and very effective tale about the destructive power of bitter rivalry between families in general that easily transcends its New Zealand origin. Works, to some degree, on three levels: the visceral, the emotional, and the intellectual, and it is the amalgamation of these that makes this a memorable film. It is powerful and chilling, and directed by Tamahori with such narrative momentum that we are swept along in the enveloping tragedy of the family's life. Everything about this powerful, poignant film makes it a must-see experience, if you have the patience for it.
Tamahori's direction is consistently sharp and the film showcases two immensely powerful performances by Morrison and Keefe. The silent raging energy of this New Zealand film looms around you, and hits you like a smack in the face. The barren lives of members of a Maori family are rigorously exposed in this rugged and painful picture, based on Ihimaera's novel. The Maori milieu, however, is something we haven't seen before, and the images stay with you. The film is filled with memorable images, solid acting and a keen sense of place and character, but without even realizing it, Tamahori has also told a story about sub-cultures far from his own home. It is a painful and very effective tale about the destructive power of bitter rivalry between families in general that easily transcends its New Zealand origin. Works, to some degree, on three levels: the visceral, the emotional, and the intellectual, and it is the amalgamation of these that makes this a memorable film. It is powerful and chilling, and directed by Tamahori with such narrative momentum that we are swept along in the enveloping tragedy of the family's life. Everything about this powerful, poignant film makes it a must-see experience, if you have the patience for it.
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