A striking, emotional, omnibus production, Waru is a groundbreaking collaboration among eight directors, all Maori women. Each filmmaker contributed a 10-minute piece set in the same New Zealand town, with the stories taking place simultaneously. The unifying event is the funeral of a young boy, whose untimely death signifies something different to everyone it affects. From the daycare teacher who must explain a student’s absence to the rest of her class, to the television reporter expected to represent the public face of the Maori community, each chapter takes on a new character’s point of view. Outstanding performances plunge the viewer into individual lives and experiences.

Formally innovative to a larger purpose, Waru penetrates to the heart of the immediate situation and illuminates larger questions of responsibility, tradition, society and racism. The jigsaw pieces open a dialogue on the universal nature of the issues raised, with all vignettes visually unified by Drew Sturge’s sweeping, immersive cinematography.