About
Once Were Warriors opened the eyes of cinemagoers around the globe to an unexamined aspect of modern New Zealand life. Director Lee Tamahori's hard-hitting depiction of domestic and gang violence amongst an urban Māori whānau was adapted from the best-selling Alan Duff novel. The film provided career-defining roles for Temuera Morrison and Rena Owen as Jake the Muss and Beth Heke. It remains New Zealand's most watched local release in terms of the number of bums on seats. Among a trio of background pieces on the film, Riwia Brown describes adapting Alan Duff's book for the screen.
Key Cast & Crew
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Photographer: Kerry Brown. Kindly provided by Onfilm.
Julian Arahanga (left) as Nig and Temuera Morrison (right) as Jake in Once Were Warriors.
Photo appears courtesy of the New Zealand Film Commission.
Temuera Morrison getting in shape for Once Were Warriors, watched on by Robert Bruce.
A shot from the Once Were Warriors premiere. From left to right: Neil Roberts from production company Communicado, actor Cliff Curtis, producer Robin Scholes, actor Temuera Morrison, Communicado's Garry McAlpine and director Lee Tamahori.
Temuera Morrison as Jake (left) and Rena Owen as Beth (right) in a scene from Once Were Warriors.
Photo appears courtesy of the New Zealand Film Commission.
