A white woman teaching Māori kids in 1940s New Zealand? What could possibly go wrong?
New Zealand chronicle of the life of noted writer and teacher, Sylvia Ashton-Warner. An interesting look at the unusual teaching methods she used while working with the children from the indigenous Maon.
Acting
Eleanor David's ferocious, unraveling performance.
Writing
Doesn't flinch from Sylvia's brilliance AND her blind spots.
Director
Michael Firth
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Shot in the actual rural Māori communities where Ashton-Warner taught, with many local children cast as her students.
The real Sylvia's books were international bestsellers—this film interrogates whether her fame exploited the very children she claimed to liberate.
US
NZ
