Lisa Reihana

This extraordinary film by Lisa Reihana is a time-bending, surrealist fable that explores destructive influences and the potential for healing. For lead character Wairangi, a fun night out turns into a journey of self-discovery as the lines between reality and hallucination blur. Following encounters with Spike and Stealer, sinister figures representing risk and temptation, Wairangi meets Aratohu, an ancestral taniwha-like being who offers an alternative pathway underpinned by renewed strength in her Māori identity. Taniwha are often used as metaphors for challenging events such as natural disasters, illness or addiction. Made in response to the ‘taniwha’ that is the worldwide opioid epidemic, with increasing consequences for communities in Aotearoa New Zealand, Aratohu is a timeless moral tale that showcases Reihana’s expert interweaving of puppetry, animation, costuming and compelling storytelling.