“Aotearoa New Zealand, 1978. In a small rural town, the Ropata family must pull together after their lives and community are turned upside down.
When the local school faces closure, it’s up to the youngest son and his friends to save it
— cooking up one scheme after another as they battle the city kids for glory at the regional sports day. Meanwhile at home, the family is divided by something bigger, after one of the eldest sons joins the fight for Māori land rights at Bastion Point.
As one of the most turbulent years in New Zealand history unfolds, can the family stay united and support each other through it all?”
Funny, moving, and unmistakably Kiwi, 1978 is a film for the whole family. With the scheming charm of ‘Home Alone’ and ‘The Little Rascals’, and the small-town, us-against-
the-world spirit of ‘Stand By Me’ and ‘The Goonies’, it’s a story about children who refuse to give up without a fight. But underneath the mischief lies real heart and real history —
one son’s fight for his people’s land driving a wedge through the family he loves — grounded in one of New Zealand’s most powerful true stories.
Starring Mark Hadlow, Tukairangi Maxwell, Fredrick Pokai, Shania Bailey-Edmonds
