The Pā Boys (2014)

Directed and Written by:
Himiona Grace

The first feature completed under the aegis of Te Paepae Ataata,a funding body charged with celebrating and developing the film voice of tangata whenua, is the story of a man hunting for his roots.

Danny, who has been adopted, has no understanding of his roots, and amongst the members of his band, this makes him an outsider. While touring the country, he struggles to understand the importance of his heritage while also struggling with the presence of his ex-wife on the road.

With some stunning music from Trinity Roots’s Warren Maxwell, this is a spirited debut feature from Himiona Grace, a writer/director with a substantial literary pedigree (his mother is Patricia Grace, his wife Briar Grace-Smith).