A truly extraordinary documentary-drama created over a period of thirty years or more. In this film, Ward explores the life story of Puhi, an elderly Māori woman of the Tuhoe iwi (tribe), and her relationship with her mentally ill adult son, Niki. This story has been masterfully told by Ward, who lived with Puhi and Niki over an 18 month period during the 1970s.
Puhi believed she had been cursed, and to understand why this was, Ward leads the viewer into New Zealand's Urewera ranges - a beautiful yet brutal terrain - to learn more about Puhi's life. He draws on his own memories and early footage, interviews with her family and community, and extensive research to piece together the experiences that shaped her remarkable life and her world view.
Ward discovers that Puhi had been selected as a bride for one of the prophet Rua Kenana's sons and that she was the mother of 14 children. She had also experienced a succession of tragedies and witnessed many extraordinary events, including the 1916 police raid on the Tuhoe iwi. The film re-creates many of these dramatic scenes from Puhi's life with imagination, sensitivity and insight. These re-enactments are interspersed with early footage, interviews, and Ward's own narrative, which is never intrusive nor excessive. Ward provides us with glimpses of the Tuhoe people, their history, their communities, their prophet, Rua Kenana, and their spirituality. The multiple narratives are drawn together to form a very moving and compelling account of Puhi's life, her love for Niki, and her daily struggle to survive. And, it should be said, Ward navigates the documentary clear of romanticism or over-sentimentality.
'Rain of the Children' is a challenging film but it is also immensely rewarding. The score and cinematography are of the highest caliber. It will live with you for weeks after. This is, without question, the finest NZ documentary-drama I've seen.
Puhi believed she had been cursed, and to understand why this was, Ward leads the viewer into New Zealand's Urewera ranges - a beautiful yet brutal terrain - to learn more about Puhi's life. He draws on his own memories and early footage, interviews with her family and community, and extensive research to piece together the experiences that shaped her remarkable life and her world view.
Ward discovers that Puhi had been selected as a bride for one of the prophet Rua Kenana's sons and that she was the mother of 14 children. She had also experienced a succession of tragedies and witnessed many extraordinary events, including the 1916 police raid on the Tuhoe iwi. The film re-creates many of these dramatic scenes from Puhi's life with imagination, sensitivity and insight. These re-enactments are interspersed with early footage, interviews, and Ward's own narrative, which is never intrusive nor excessive. Ward provides us with glimpses of the Tuhoe people, their history, their communities, their prophet, Rua Kenana, and their spirituality. The multiple narratives are drawn together to form a very moving and compelling account of Puhi's life, her love for Niki, and her daily struggle to survive. And, it should be said, Ward navigates the documentary clear of romanticism or over-sentimentality.
'Rain of the Children' is a challenging film but it is also immensely rewarding. The score and cinematography are of the highest caliber. It will live with you for weeks after. This is, without question, the finest NZ documentary-drama I've seen.