'Amiri & Aroha' began as a Maori version of Romeo & Juliet and evolved into a poignant love story, set against a background of gang rivalry and tribal hostility, filmed on the beautiful East Cape of New Zealand. Aroha, the daughter of a notorious gang leader, finds her life dominated by a childhood ceremony which pledged her to her cousin Hunapo. This union was arranged by her whanau (family) to heal a deep gangland feud. When Aroha subsequently meets her true soul mate, Amiri, the gang threaten reprisals if she marries Amiri, accusing her of bigamy. The film is Aroha's right of passage as she struggles to make sense of her past and its impact on her future.
David Whittet
Director
Kristel Day
Aroha
Michael Hollis
Amiri
Shayne Biddle
Hunapo
Cushla Tangaere
Matakite
Margy Poi
Ngaio
Rahira Himiona
Mere
Mathew Wikotu
Young Hunapo
Erol Peta
Maahanga
Adrian Stuart
Aramoana
Numb58%
You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger59%
XX/XY59%
Young People Fucking58%
Sahara57%
Extracurricular Activities61%
Chéri60%
Not Easily Broken63%
In Secret61%
Madame58%
Killer Heat58%
The Enforcer70%
Delirious63%
Camille62%
Greenfingers62%
The Magic of Ordinary Days73%
Irreplaceable You69%
The Lords of Flatbush58%
Cherry61%
Sidewalks of New York60%
