Hinekura
2019 · 18m · New Zealand
Directed by Becs Arahanga
Genres: coming-of-age, drama, historical
Tones: contemplative, mythic, tender
Set in 1600s Aotearoa, a young Māori girl undergoes a sacred coming-of-age ritual after her first menstruation, guided by the women of her village through a journey that transforms her into a warrior woman. The film celebrates womanhood as a sacred, empowered rite of passage in pre-colonial Māori culture.
Picked by Zoe
The scouts
Pre-colonial Aotearoa, menstruation as warrior rite, entirely in te reo Maori. The thesis is strong and the cultural ground is fresh — even if the execution leans ceremonial, the framing alone is worth the hour.
Arahanga delivers a sacred pre-colonial rite in te reo Māori — inverting colonial shame around menstruation into warrior identity. The lineage runs through Whale Rider and Vai, but the formal commitment to indigenous cosmology earns its own ground.
Entirely in te reo Maori in 1600s Aotearoa, inverting colonial shame around menstruation into warrior identity — that's a sovereign cultural reframe and the pre-colonial setting eliminates the usual contact-narrative baggage. 18 minutes for a sacred ritual journey is the right runtime.
Reviews
Becs Arahanga's Hinekura is an empowering declaration: womanhood is something to be celebrated.
The film is an ode to me and all of womankind... steeped in our divine femininity.
Festivals
- New Zealand International Film Festival 2019
- Sydney International Film Festival 2019
- LA Asian Pacific Film Festival 2020
- Pasifika Film Festival 2020
- Rocky Mountain Women's Film Festival