Image via miff.com.au

This Kiwi creation takes you into the world of aspiring rugby player 18-year-old Hemi. His dream to play for New Zealand is tempered by a need for him to be able to connect with his Maori culture and fully understand and engage with the Haka before he can be ready for such a step.

Woven through Hemi’s journey as he meets a former All Blacks captain and a Haka expert, we learn of the origins of the Ka Mate Haka. A mix of historical recreations, soaring visuals of New Zealand landscape and immersion in a rugby match bring home the deep spiritual and cultural heart of the Haka. It makes the final performance all the more meaningful and it brought a tear to my eyes. I’ll never look at the Haka in the same way again.