Best of Imagine: Marama

Victorian England, 1859. When young Māori woman Mary Stevens is summoned from New Zealand to North Yorkshire, she quickly discovers her horrific colonial legacy. She sets her sights on revenge against the Englishman who destroyed her family.

Created by a Māori crew and cast, Mārama explores British colonial violence, cultural appropriation, and cultural regeneration. These important, charged themes are uniquely packaged in an Indigenous, Gothic revenge story. An added layer of horror comes from the extreme violence the colonial rulers unleash against Indigenous women (so be warned). Lead actress Ariana Osborne, herself Māori, is superb as the uncertain Mary Stevens, who discovers that the Englishman who summoned her is more than a distant friend. Osborne's transformation into an avenging angel, underscored by a traditional Māori declaration of war midway through the film, is truly awe-inspiring. A truly unique film.