LOADING
Directed by Kath Akuhata-Brown | 107 minutes | M | Special Presentation |
12:30pm Saturday, 16 May | Balam Balam Place - Cinema 2 | Buy Tickets | Buy Passes
A Māori elder and a homeless young woman form an unlikely bond in Kath Akuhata-Brown’s gorgeous road trip to the sky
Under the celestial guidance of Matariki, Māori elder Hamo takes in Jo, a delinquent young woman who is alienated from her Māori culture and heritage. They embark on a road trip in an old Ford Falcon to Hamo's whenua (land). Along the way, Hamo guides Jo, introducing her to her ancestral knowledge and the spiritual significance of the land while grappling with their pasts and shared future.
Kōkā confronts life’s and death’s complications—shock, pain, and especially awe—with an open heart and clear eyes for the stars above. Hamo and Jo are complex characters with a classical odd-couple banter, but their journey doesn’t take the usual route to Hollywood resolutions. Writer/director Kath Akuhata-Brown is uninterested in easy answers, and her lowkey psychedelic visual style emphasises stunning deep blue and green landscapes in contrast to the inside of the duo’s beat-up car, the inside of their hurting hearts.
SIMILAR: The Tree of Life, Thelma and Louise, Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia, Smoke Signals (1998)
"Kath Akuhata-Brown’s images repeatedly emphasise the land and the sky above all else. The stars are so bright, the mountains so tall, the fog gossamer, the water swallowing, the trees witnessing, the southern lights of Māori god Kāhukura shining the way towards destination for many cramped car interiors." - Kai Perrignon, BUFF Head Programmer
“Aotearoa’s cinematic renaissance continues to blaze ahead, and at the centre of it stands KŌKĀ — a deeply affecting, meditative road movie that weaves together Māori spirituality, feminine strength, and the aching human need for connection. Marking a powerful debut from writer-director Kath Akuhata-Brown, KŌKĀ is a lyrical, visually rich experience that resonates long after the credits roll.” - Samuel Hames, SpicyPulp
Country: New Zealand
Year: 2025
Language: English, Maori