In Development:
Island Dancer
04 September 2023
Feature Film
WRITERS:
Michael Bennett & Jane Holland
A TRUE STORY. Twelve-year-old AROHA is an irrepressible Māori girl from Far North Aotearoa. She’s precocious, she loves to sing and dance, and she’s akava’ine (transgender). Aroha has never hidden who she is, happily telling everyone, “I’m a girl’s heart in a boy’s body”. When Aroha goes with mum, Wiki, to live on the island of Rarotonga, she falls in love with the spectacular Cook Islands dancing. Mentored by a charismatic young dance guru, Aroha sets her sights on an impossible dream, dancing in Te Mire ‘Ura - Dancer of the Year.
Developed with NZFC.
Estimated to shoot June 2024.