Seventeen-year old Jim is a small-town boxing hero who carries the hopes and dreams of his father Stan on his shoulders. His growing relationship with local takatāpui Māori boy, Whetu, forces him to confront the truth about his sexuality, and choose his own future.
Acting
Tim Roth's Stan is terrifyingly loving, a masterpiece of damage.
Direction
Welby Ings frames rural NZ as both prison and haunted dreamscape.
Cinematography
Golden hour never hurt this bad.
Director
Welby Ings
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Takatāpui is a Māori term embracing LGBTQ+ identity within Indigenous frameworks—Whetu's character embodies this reclamation against Pākehā (white) boxing culture.
Director Welby Ings based the script on his own rural upbringing; the film was shot in his hometown of Kawhia with many non-professional local actors.
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