2021·Drama·1h 38m
7.1
★
Connected by blood but separated by circumstances, three cousins spend a lifetime in search of each other.
Directed by Briar Grace Smith and Ainsley Gardiner
cousin
Trailer
IMDB
N/A
Cast
Tanea Heke
Older Mata
Rachel House
Older Missy
Ana Scotney
Younger Mata
Tioreore Ngatai-Melbourne
Younger Makareta
Cian Elyse White
Gloria
Miriama Smith
Keita
Chelsie Preston Crayford
Older Jean
Cohen Holloway
Older Bobby
Kirk Torrance
Older Sonny
Calvin Tuteao
Older Hamuera
Sylvia Rands
Mrs. Parkinson
Erroll Anderson
Tipi
Crew
Ainsley Gardiner
Director
Ainsley Gardiner
Producer
Popular Reviews
12 reviews
yenu
6.0★ · 03/19/26
#englishinternal
#englishinternal
Lihi
וואטדאפק
וואטדאפק
Alexandra Hense
7.0★ · 08/30/24
omfg that was so sad
omfg that was so sad
Kuresa Tapulaaia
1.9★ · 03/10/24
NZ cinema be like
NZ cinema be like
Raiha
10.0★ · 11/29/23
beautiful film, i was extremely hesitant to watch for a long while initally just due to most Māori films having a particular effect on me as a wāhine Māori myself. I'm glad i did though, such a soft spoken but extremely eloquent and powerful film. From a personal standpoint and going off some of the themes present in the film, I'm extremely happy and lucky that none of my close cousins nor myself were taken away from our whānau and raised far from our whakapapa and culture, we were all fortunate to still have that connection that Mata was deprived of. However, I watch this and think of the sadly all too many wāhine I have met who went through the same thing as Mata and lost that connection or their chance at connection. It all stems from colonisation of course, and I am glad for this movie to give those sisters a sense of reprieve and hope for their own situations.
Outside of my personal connection with the film, I believe it is a brilliant tale many women, particularly of Indigenous, Black and other ethnic minorities can connect to. Being disconnected from your roots, your culture, your heritage, your community is something many who experienced colonialism have gone through, all as a byproduct of it and the violence it inflicts. It is a proponent of inter-generational trauma, and it is a harrowing loss, a painful thing to not know who you are and to be isolated due to it. Cultural identity is important for those like us, it unifies us with community, family and brings a joy one can't really describe (especially in societies where your community are marginalised by a colonial majority). In the film, Mata, a biracial Māori/Pākehā girl goes through this loss, notably as a direct result of her biracial heritage (white father who both doesn't want his mixed child and who doesn't want her in connection with her whakapapa Māori). She is mocked by the white children around her early on, but has no Māori or even other ethnic children to turn to: she's completely alone, literally disconnected, and the film continues to explore this and display just how integral the eventual connection to her cousins is as a symbol of connection to her community.
I personally am not of biracial heritage, but despite that, Mata's story was one I recognised in the faces of many, mixed and unmixed. It was also a tale I recognised from not only my community, but many others. 'Cousins' itself truly is an eloquent and compelling story, one I feel beautifully tells a story of disconnect and reconnection to ones roots, and I can't recommend it enough.
Outside of my personal connection with the film, I believe it is a brilliant tale many women, particularly of Indigenous, Black and other ethnic minorities can connect to. Being disconnected from your roots, your culture, your heritage, your community is something many who experienced colonialism have gone through, all as a byproduct of it and the violence it inflicts. It is a proponent of inter-generational trauma, and it is a harrowing loss, a painful thing to not know who you are and to be isolated due to it. Cultural identity is important for those like us, it unifies us with community, family and brings a joy one can't really describe (especially in societies where your community are marginalised by a colonial majority). In the film, Mata, a biracial Māori/Pākehā girl goes through this loss, notably as a direct result of her biracial heritage (white father who both doesn't want his mixed child and who doesn't want her in connection with her whakapapa Māori). She is mocked by the white children around her early on, but has no Māori or even other ethnic children to turn to: she's completely alone, literally disconnected, and the film continues to explore this and display just how integral the eventual connection to her cousins is as a symbol of connection to her community.
I personally am not of biracial heritage, but despite that, Mata's story was one I recognised in the faces of many, mixed and unmixed. It was also a tale I recognised from not only my community, but many others. 'Cousins' itself truly is an eloquent and compelling story, one I feel beautifully tells a story of disconnect and reconnection to ones roots, and I can't recommend it enough.
beautiful film, i was extremely hesitant to watch for a long while initally just due to most Māori films having a particular effect on me as a wāhine Māori myself. I'm glad i did though, such a soft spoken but extremely eloquent and powerful film. From a personal standpoint and going off some of the themes present in the film, I'm extremely happy and lucky that none of my close cousins nor myself were taken away from our whānau and raised far from our whakapapa and culture, we were all fortunate to still have that connection that Mata was deprived of. However, I watch this and think of the sadly all too many wāhine I have met who went through the same thing as Mata and lost that connection or their chance at connection. It all stems from colonisation of course, and I am glad for this movie to give those sisters a sense of reprieve and hope for their own situations.
Outside of my personal connection with the film, I believe it is a brilliant tale many women, particularly of Indigenous, Black and other ethnic minorities can connect to. Being disconnected from your roots, your culture, your heritage, your community is something many who experienced colonialism have gone through, all as a byproduct of it and the violence it inflicts. It is a proponent of inter-generational trauma, and it is a harrowing loss, a painful thing to not know who you are and to be isolated due to it. Cultural identity is important for those like us, it unifies us with community, family and brings a joy one can't really describe (especially in societies where your community are marginalised by a colonial majority). In the film, Mata, a biracial Māori/Pākehā girl goes through this loss, notably as a direct result of her biracial heritage (white father who both doesn't want his mixed child and who doesn't want her in connection with her whakapapa Māori). She is mocked by the white children around her early on, but has no Māori or even other ethnic children to turn to: she's completely alone, literally disconnected, and the film continues to explore this and display just how integral the eventual connection to her cousins is as a symbol of connection to her community.
I personally am not of biracial heritage, but despite that, Mata's story was one I recognised in the faces of many, mixed and unmixed. It was also a tale I recognised from not only my community, but many others. 'Cousins' itself truly is an eloquent and compelling story, one I feel beautifully tells a story of disconnect and reconnection to ones roots, and I can't recommend it enough.
Outside of my personal connection with the film, I believe it is a brilliant tale many women, particularly of Indigenous, Black and other ethnic minorities can connect to. Being disconnected from your roots, your culture, your heritage, your community is something many who experienced colonialism have gone through, all as a byproduct of it and the violence it inflicts. It is a proponent of inter-generational trauma, and it is a harrowing loss, a painful thing to not know who you are and to be isolated due to it. Cultural identity is important for those like us, it unifies us with community, family and brings a joy one can't really describe (especially in societies where your community are marginalised by a colonial majority). In the film, Mata, a biracial Māori/Pākehā girl goes through this loss, notably as a direct result of her biracial heritage (white father who both doesn't want his mixed child and who doesn't want her in connection with her whakapapa Māori). She is mocked by the white children around her early on, but has no Māori or even other ethnic children to turn to: she's completely alone, literally disconnected, and the film continues to explore this and display just how integral the eventual connection to her cousins is as a symbol of connection to her community.
I personally am not of biracial heritage, but despite that, Mata's story was one I recognised in the faces of many, mixed and unmixed. It was also a tale I recognised from not only my community, but many others. 'Cousins' itself truly is an eloquent and compelling story, one I feel beautifully tells a story of disconnect and reconnection to ones roots, and I can't recommend it enough.