Reclamation Of Spirituality On Maori Television
Rewi Rapana is haunted - haunted by his past, haunted by his future and haunted by his relationships. His reclamation of
spirituality takes precedence in the classic Sunday night feature film MAURI, screening on Maori Television on Sunday
April 3 at 9.00 PM.
The 1987 Merata Mita-directed film traces the story of a man whose past threatens to engulf his future and features a
stellar cast of actors from the annals of Maoridom. In his fourth feature film, Anzac Wallace plays Rewi and uses his
personal familiarity with conflict and confrontation to wield authority over the central character. In MAURI it is
obvious that he isn’t playing Rewi – he IS Rewi.
His relationships with two women set him on the road to redemption. The elder, Kara (played by Eva Rickard), he loves as
earth mother and spiritual healer. The younger, Ramari (played by Susan Paul) is a beautiful and headstrong woman with
whom Rewi shares a volatile sexual attraction and deep painful love – which ends in deprivation and rejection.
The story is set among the colourful characters of a once thriving settlement, Te Mata, upon whom the encroachment of
Europeans spells disaster. Now, isolated by lack of numbers, time and distance, the remaining survivors form a
tight-knit community which outsiders find impenetrable. Rewi’s deceit forces him to become part of the community and his
life is inextricably interwoven with those around him.
Kara, the acknowledged leader of Te Mata, feels the unease in Rewi’s psyche and senses the emotional and spiritual
damage he suffers. But, like all spiritual healers she wisely waits his time to unburden himself even though her time is
running out.
MAURI starts with birth, ends with death and is about life, representing a holistic view of the human experience.
“The holistic view of life in our universe, of the earth and its peoples as being an implacable yet inextricable link in
the cosmic chain is another important concept Kara passes onto the younger generations in her keeping. Intangible forces
that bind us together expresses as concepts alien to western thinking and are given prominence in this most traditional
form of education – and in this film,” says Mita.
MAURI screens on Maori Television on Sunday April 3 at 9.00 PM.