Film about suicide to debut
An award-winning film-maker is taking an in depth look at suicide and its after-effects with a feature film soon to be released. Maui’s Hook is the culmination of four years of work for Paora Joseph, also a Ma¯ ori psychologist, who has a deep-seated passion for highlighting the issue.
The film, which begins in Taranaki at Parihaka and moves across various marae in the North Island before ending in Cape Reinga, meets five Ma¯ ori wha¯nau affected by suicide, and guides them through a journey of discovery and resolution.
It premieres at the NZ International Film Festival (NZIFF) in Auckland next month before screening at 10 other festival venues across the country.
Joseph, also the creative behind films Ta¯tarakihi: Children of
Parihaka and Te Awa Tupua, felt moved to tackle the subject having previously spent time working as a youth worker in the streets of Auckland before penning a thesis on Ma¯ ori youth suicide.
‘‘Back then that was my work and I really wanted to try and highlight the issue so we could get support,’’ he said. ‘‘But we’ve still got the highest youth suicide rate in the world – hence the need to really try and do something about it.’’
Joseph, of Taranaki, said the journey was one of healing for the wha¯ nau involved in the documentary.
Told from their perspective, the film shares their losses and shows them connect with one another as they embark on their hı¯koi wairua (spiritual journey), he said.
Once in Cape Reinga, the final departing place of spirits, the families – through karanga, waiata and karakia – say their final goodbyes to their loved ones. ‘‘Suicide is traumatic, it’s like murder, really, in the sense that life is taken very quickly and suddenly,’’ he said. ‘‘So you don’t have really a lot of time to deal with that and often people are left in a state of trauma and having to deal with that loss.’’
The documentary intertwines a fictional component, where it follows a young Ma¯ori man on a destructive path who ends up travelling alongside the five wha¯ nau.
Joseph said this element delivered an important message about the finality of death.
He hoped the film would continue the conversation on suicide.
‘‘It doesn’t provide all the solutions around suicide prevention but what it does is it provides an important window for healing.
‘‘It’s a very grassroots film.’’ Details of screening dates and venues are in the NZIFF programme. Tickets go on sale on Friday.