Mārama

This is a visually striking debut film from Taratoa Stappard that gives rise to a completely new film genre: Gothic Māori horror, set in the Victorian era.

The year is 1859. Mary Stevens, a young Māori woman and teacher from Aotearoa (New Zealand), travels to North Yorkshire in search of ancient truths about her family. However, upon arriving at the English manor, she discovers that the man who invited her is already dead. With the path home unclear, Mary is persuaded to stay. Haunted by the memories of others, Mary gradually begins to unravel a cruel past. What starts as a search for her own identity soon becomes a fight for freedom, dignity, and spiritual survival.

Mārama is a daring and unsettling Gothic reckoning with colonialism. Ariāna Osborne delivers a stellar performance in this grotesque narrative, where Victorian politeness is torn apart to reveal the monster lying underneath. In this horror film, it's not ghosts that haunt, but the legacy of the empire.

Director

Taratoa Stappard is a New Zealand filmmaker born in Aotearoa, currently residing in London. His mother is Māori and his father is English. Stappard has made several short films, but Mārama is his first feature film. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Filmography

2018 Emkhatsini: Between (short)
2016 Goalie (short)

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Tuesday 20. january

Kl 14:00
Intro + Q&A
Fokus 4

Wednesday 21. january

Kl 19:15
Intro + Q&A
Verdensteatret

Saturday 24. january

Kl 22:15
Bryggeriet Scene

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