Bob Marley as prophet in rural Aotearoa — this isn't your average commune doc.
An East Coast community in Ruatōria, New Zealand attempts to live in autarchy according to the tenets of their movement. Bob Marley, a prophet of our electronic age, is the soundtrack to the everyday lives of these Māori who feel closer to their own roots by observing a blend of Afro-Carribean Rastafarianism and the Ringatū faith. Merata Mita's camera respectfully portrays this singular cultural dialogue. The outsider cultures of Jamaicans, Ethiopians and Māori have come together, vibrating to a common cosmic chord. They find an underground brotherhood, across continents and seas.
Direction
Mita's respectful, non-extractive gaze — rare in ethnographic film.
Score
Marley woven into ritual, not just soundtrack.
Director
Merata Mita
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Ringatū, founded by Te Kooti in 1860s, was already a syncretic faith — adding Rastafari continues Māori tradition of adaptive resistance.
Merata Mita shot this between her dramatic feature Mauri and her international breakthrough work — a hidden gem in her filmography.
NZ
