AAPIHM Film Series: We Were Dangerous
Two M膩ori teens rebel against their strict school for delinquent girls in this compelling coming-of-age story set in 1950s New Zealand.
Two M膩ori teens rebel against their strict school for delinquent girls in this compelling coming-of-age story set in 1950s New Zealand.
In 1954, M膩ori teenagers Nellie and Daisy are sent to the Te Motu School for Incorrigible and Delinquent Girls after minor offenses. There, they meet Lou, a European teenager from a privileged background. Under the strict supervision of the devout Matron, the institution aims to reform the girls into obedient housewives, suppressing their cultural identities and personal freedoms. As the Matron's authoritarian methods intensify, including experimental medical treatments, the trio's bond strengthens. They devise a plan to escape the island facility, culminating in a daring act of rebellion that challenges the oppressive system.
Premiering at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival, Josephine Stewart-Te Whiu's debut offers "a hopeful rallying cry for girls to stick together across the various divides that people use to disempower them" (IndieWire).
