Mārama is a gothic revenge nightmare rooted in the colonization and cultural theft inflicted upon the Māori people of Aotearoa/New Zealand in the mid-19th century.
This critically acclaimed film, written and directed by Taratoa Stappard, exhibits a unique intelligence and soul, thoughtfully translating serious historic trauma into a piece of art.
Set inside an especially appalling corner of Victorian England, Mary (an exciting performance from Ariāna Osborne), travels from Aotearoa to North Yorkshire after receiving a mysterious letter about her biological family. Finding the letter-writer dead, she is trapped working as a governess for a wealthy former whaler.
The greatest horror is always colonisation.
