Once Were Warriors

Once Were Warriors is a powerful and deeply affecting story of a contemporary Maori family in urban New Zealand. This debut film by Lee Tamahori has become a tremendous success in its native New Zealand, the highest-grossing film in the country's history, surpassing The Piano and Jurassic Park. Beth Heke (Rena Owen) is a feisty, beautiful mother of five who, after eighteen years of marriage, is still deeply in love with her volatile husband Jake (Temuera Morrison ). Jake is a muscular, handsome man who exudes an explosive sexual energy; it is easy to see why Beth finds him hard to resist. Jake spends most of his time at the local pub, guzzling beer and proving his masculinity with his fists. If Beth dares to question or challenge him, her answer often comes in a similarly violent form. But Beth is a survivor; it will take more than a few knocks to conquer her spirit. In spite of his violence, Beth is still in love with her husband, but is losing daily battles against the violent forces in and outside her home that desperately threaten to pull her family apart. Although one son has joined a gang and another has been taken by the state to a home for delinquent boys, her beautiful teenage daughter Grace is still untouched. She is a thoughtful girl and a gifted writer who embodies Beth's own hopes for a brighter future. Grace's special gifts set her apart from her tough, urban surroundings and make her the most vulnerable member of the family. What happens to Grace changes the family's life forever and forces Beth to draw on her own Maori roots and personal strength to courageously turn adversity into triumph and create new hope for her own and her family's survival.