TIFF ’24 Review: ‘Ka Whawhai Tonu’ captures the warrior spirit
‘Ka Whawhai Tonu — Struggle Without End’ is based on a real-life battle in which the vastly outnumbered Māori took on an army of colonial British soldiers.
Indigenous Peoples around the world have endured unimaginable suffering throughout the centuries. Since long journeys over vast bodies of water became possible, other countries and their rulers have laid claim to land to extend their empires and establish world dominance. Notably, these claims disregarded the presence of existing inhabitants. Any populations that could not be reasoned or bargained with were chased from the land or systematically murdered until they were no longer a problem. This method of colonization razed entire societies and destroyed their cultures, the consequences of which can still be felt today. In Ka Whawhai Tonu — Struggle Without End, the Māori band together to defend their land from the invading British.
On the brink of attack, the tribal leaders meet to vote if they will go to war against the army preparing to seize their lands. While there are some dissenting voices, the majority agree they will not give up their ancestral homes without a fight. Kōpū (Hinerangi Harawira-Nichola) is believed by some to commune with the war God, but many think she’s been swayed by Haki (Paku Fernandez), a boy deemed a traitor and captured for sacrifice. He is half Māori and half English, but struggling with deciding where his allegiance lies. When the battle begins, the natives are strongly outnumbered. Yet, they each fight with the spirit of 1,000 men.
Even though a mismatched war is at the narrative’s centre, there is much more unfolding in the background. Kōpū is tired of being the tribe’s medium and following her mother’s absurd rules meant to shield her from any outside influences — or normal teenage experiences. Haki initially tries to plea with Kōpū to save him, but as time goes on he appoints himself her protector and determines to save her from the men who fear she’s cursed them. He must first earn the trust of the tribe members, which in turn bonds him to some of the other children. These new relationships also create more internal turmoil for Haki who’s haunted by the horrendous act his warmongering father forced him to commit.
The story is based on the real-life 1864 battle of Ōrākau in New Zealand, in which a small group of disparate Māori unite to fight their common enemy. There is a divide as some of the people converted to Christianity and others upheld their traditional beliefs, but their devotion to their homes are equal. Great efforts were made by filmmakers to make as factual a film as possible, consulting with the war’s descendants to learn their oral histories, which then informed the script and set design. Moreover, many of those descendants participated in the making of the picture, behind and in front of the camera, as well as Māori screen legends Temuera Morrison and Cliff Curtis. It’s also the first film in which the primary language spoken is Māori with more than one dialect featured.
Ka Whawhai Tonu — Struggle Without End had its North American premiere in the Centrepiece programme at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Read other reviews from the festival.
Director: Mike Jonathan
Starring: Cliff Curtis, Temuera Morrison and Jason Flemyng