Film No. 41. WE WERE DANGEROUS (2024). 5th July.

 

Film No. 41 (2024) July 5th.  4:45 PM  LUNA CINEMA, Cinema 1,  Leederville.

"It's best not to think of the girls as wives and mothers. It might be beyond them." (An old "inspector" gives matron a few words of advice about the plight she faces).

WINNER: Narrative Feature (Josephine Stewart - Te Whiu) SXSW FF  2024.

Can a young cast of rookie performers elevate a film to heights where a "must see" tag is attached? Well, WE WERE DANGEROUS is no STAND BY ME, but the three young actors who drive it are magnetic.

 RABBIT PROOF FENCE set a standard for making ones blood boil over Australia's repression of indigenous children; DANGEROUS takes us into what we assume is the Kiwi's dark past. A time when religious based education set harsh boundaries for teenage girls, in particular. Young performers Erana James (Nellie), Manaia Hall (Daisy) and Nathalie Hall (Louisa) take on a journey of resilience, friendship and belief. 

You've got to love a film that makes its point in just 82 minutes. Josephine Stewart-Te Whiu directs with earnest intention here. It is her second feature and her willingness to tell a story reminding us that women were always shaking the shackles of repression is a worthy pursuit. It's a solid feature full of humour and hope.  8GUMS.