From “The Lord of the Rings” film trilogy to “Thor: Ragnarok”, New Zealand has had its fair share of spectacular sci-fi and fantasy films. Underneath these popular pieces of cinema, there’s a dark and sinister undertone. The question we looked at in MFCO 216/306 “Cinema of Aotearoa New Zealand” was simple: What truly defines New Zealand cinema, and can a single national identity be clearly represented on screen? New Zealand films are known to locals for being dark, gritty, and intense, such as “Utu” and "Once Were Warriors”. Many locally produced films explore unsettling ideas rooted in colonialism and a tourist perspective. 

 

Some common themes we explored in class include “cultural cringe”, “Cinema of Unease” (based on the 1995 documentary made by Sam Neill), class, race, gender, sexuality, indigenous cinema, diaspora cinema, coming of age films, NZ as a Pacific country, urban masculinity/feminity, representing trauma, and NZ identity in the global market.

New Zealand stories presented in cinema are told from many different perspectives. People represented in these films are usually middle-aged men with European decent living as a Kiwi in New Zealand. According to the New Zealand Film Commission’s website, there is a serious lack of representation of “Māori, Pacific peoples, Asian communities, MELAA (Middle Eastern, Latin American and African), women, gender diverse, LGBTQIA+ communities, people with a disability, regional communities, and people below the age of 30 and people above the age of 60,” (New Zealand Film Commission, 2025)** within NZ cinema.

 

During 1941-80, the NZ Government introduced the National Film Unit, with its primary goal to produce hundreds of educational films, travelogues, and newsreels to create a national identity and promote tourism for the country. Within this search for national identity, a crucial absence emerges: who is allowed to shape the narrative? Many big New Zealand films happen to focus on Māori culture, lived experiences, and historical narratives. Pākehā, or “other”/white, filmmakers are the dominating directors and cinematographers in NZ making these popular indigenous films. Are they allowed to tell these stories? Does this place these indigenous stories through a white settler’s gaze? How does this alter the story and the representation seen? These are all questions we’re still discussing.

 

The representation of the coming-of-age genre represented in New Zealand is incredibly troubling as well. Often, the genre is frequently criticized for relying on poverty porn and trauma to tell a story, makes uncomfortable generalizations of younger female characters, and reduces minority experiences. Once Were Warriors relies heavily on domestic abuse and exploitative sex. “Boy” and “Whale Rider” show absent parents, substance abuse, and grief as their background plot points that help “drive” the narrative forward. “In My Father’s Den” shows implied grooming, inappropriate relationships, substance abuse, and so much more. In “Heavenly Creatures”, we watch a child have sex on screen. These films have been incredibly exploitative for these young kids growing up. If this is the representation of New Zealand’s National Identity, there’s a clear problem with the identity itself. 

 

If you’re interested in learning more about these topics, themes, and NZ cinema, please take a peek at the articles and websites we’ve attached below. We’ve also listed movies similar to “In My Father’s Den” and “Boy” in case you were craving more slightly problematic coming of age movies. A general warning that some of these films will contain hard topics and troubling themes (specifically the NZ films). In addition to the list of movies, we’ve also created a list of coming of age books, some of which are written by NZ authors. We hope you’ve enjoyed our website and have gained a cool new talking point to bring up whenever you want to look super smart in front of your friends. :)

 

Reference:

**New Zealand Film Commission. (2025, June 3). The NZFC’s definition of underrepresented communities in the NZ film... The NZFC’s Definition of Underrepresented Communities in the NZ Film Industry. https://www.nzfilm.co.nz/resources/nzfc-s-definition-underrepresented-communities-nz-film-industry