We Were Dangerous
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''We Were Dangerous'' is a 2024 New Zealand
drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...
film, directed by Josephine Stewart-Te Whiu, in her directorial debut, from a screenplay by Maddie Dai. It stars
Rima Te Wiata Heather Rima Te Wiata (born 11 October 1963) is a British-born New Zealand singer, comedian and stage, film and television actress, who is also notable for her career in Australia, especially her long-running recurring role in soap opera ''Sons ...
, Erana James, Nathalie Morris and Manaia Hall.
Taika Waititi Taika David Cohen (born 16 August 1975), known professionally as Taika Waititi ( ), is a New Zealand filmmaker, actor, and comedian. Known for quirky comedy films and expanding his career as a voice actor and producer on numerous projects, he ...
and
Carthew Neal Carthew Neal is an Academy nominated film, television and interactive producer. Neal produced Taika Waititi's satire ''Jojo Rabbit'' for Fox Searchlight, which received six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. He also produced Wai ...
serve as executive producers. It had its world premiere at
South by Southwest South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Texas. It began in 1987 and has conti ...
on 8 March 2024. The film was released in New Zealand on 22 August 2024.


Plot summary

In 1954,
Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
teenage girl Nellie is sent by her family to
Christchurch Christchurch (; ) is the largest city in the South Island and the List of cities in New Zealand, second-largest city by urban area population in New Zealand. Christchurch has an urban population of , and a metropolitan population of over hal ...
to live with a relative after her hometown's meatworks closes down. Unable to find her relative, Nellie befriends another female Māori teenager named Daisy, who has escaped several foster homes after experiencing abuse. After being arrested for shoplifting, the two girls are sent to the Te Motu School for Incorrigible and Delinquent Girls. The Matron, a devout Māori woman who had grown up in a
Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
orphanage, attempts to reprogram the girls into subservient housewives and mothers. The Matron believes that the British brought
Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...
to civilise the Māori people. Nellie and Daisy attempt to escape the reform school with another girl named Pauline but are captured. At the advice of a government official, the Matron relocates the entire reform school to a former
leper colony A leper colony, also known by many other names, is an isolated community for the quarantining and treatment of lepers, people suffering from leprosy. '' M. leprae'', the bacterium responsible for leprosy, is believed to have spread from East ...
on a remote island. Nellie and Daisy are joined by the
European European, or Europeans, may refer to: In general * ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe ** Ethnic groups in Europe ** Demographics of Europe ** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe and other West ...
teenager Lou, the daughter of a respected Christchurch doctor. Lou was sent to Te Motu after a father caught her having sex with her female mathematics tutor. The three girls are assigned to share a rickety hut and become friends. On the island, the Matron continues her reprogramming efforts which are laced with
Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
religious instruction, housework, and various chores. The Matron also suppresses Nellie and Daisy's expression of
Māori culture Māori culture () is the customs, cultural practices, and beliefs of the Māori people of New Zealand. It originated from, and is still part of, Polynesians, Eastern Polynesian culture. Māori culture forms a distinctive part of Culture of New ...
and punishes them for leading their peers in a
rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...
dance. Amidst the Matron's authoritarian rule, the girls befriend the kindly Barry, the island groundskeeper who introduces them to a hut that was inhabited by a
Chinese Chinese may refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China. **'' Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...
leper, who died on the island decades ago. With the girls proving resistant to the Matron's reprogramming efforts, she enlists the help of a doctor who performs
forced sterilisation Compulsory sterilization, also known as forced or coerced sterilization, refers to any government-mandated program to involuntarily sterilize a specific group of people. Sterilization removes a person's capacity to reproduce, and is usually do ...
on two girls at a medical hut. Lou attempts to warn her father about the destructive surgeries but her letter is intercepted by the matron. Following the disappearances, Nellie and Daisy seek to escape the island but unexpectedly find themselves at odds with Lou, who is seemingly afraid to break the rules. Lou also appears to embrace the Matron's Christian teachings and programme. When Nellie stands up to the Matron for punishing Daisy for not being able to read, Lou slaps Nellie and punishes her by splashing with water. However, Lou's apparent reformed behaviour is later revealed to be a ruse to distract the Matron while she, Nellie and Daisy plot to burn down the medical hut and gather supplies to build a raft to escape the island. Later that night, the trio set fire to the medical hut, destroying the operating theatre. While the Matron and other staff are preoccupied, the three girls escape the island on their improvised raft. The film ends with Nellie, Daisy and Lou sailing into the sunrise.


Cast

*
Rima Te Wiata Heather Rima Te Wiata (born 11 October 1963) is a British-born New Zealand singer, comedian and stage, film and television actress, who is also notable for her career in Australia, especially her long-running recurring role in soap opera ''Sons ...
as the Matron * Erana James as Nellie * Nathalie Morris as Louisa * Manaia Hall as Daisy * Stephen Tamarapa as Barry


Production

''We Were Dangerous'' was executive produced
Taika Waititi Taika David Cohen (born 16 August 1975), known professionally as Taika Waititi ( ), is a New Zealand filmmaker, actor, and comedian. Known for quirky comedy films and expanding his career as a voice actor and producer on numerous projects, he ...
, directed by Josephine Stewart-Te Whiu, written by Maddie Dai and produced by Morgan Waru and Polly Fryer. The film was the feature debut of both Te Whiu and Dai.


Writing and conception

The film's screenplay was written by Maddie Dai. Dai created the three protagonists and drew upon inspiration and ideas from the experiences of her great-great-grandfather who was imprisoned on an island in New Zealand, New Zealand author
Maurice Gee Maurice Gough Gee (22 August 1931 – 12 June 2025) was a New Zealand novelist. He was one of New Zealand's most distinguished and prolific authors, having written over thirty novels for adults and children, and having won numerous awards both ...
's novel ''Live Bodies'', the
eugenicist Eugenics is a set of largely discredited beliefs and practices that aim to improve the genetics, genetic quality of a human population. Historically, eugenicists have attempted to alter the frequency of various human Phenotype, phenotypes by ...
William Chapple's ''The Fertility of the Unfit'' book, the
Mazengarb Report The Mazengarb Report of 1954, formally titled the ''Report of the Special Committee on Moral Delinquency in Children and Adolescents'', resulted from a New Zealand ministerial inquiry (the Special Committee on Moral Delinquency in Children and Ad ...
and the
Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State Care and in the Care of Faith-based Institutions was established by the New Zealand Government in 2018 to inquire into and report upon allegations of historical abuse to children, y ...
. Dai also researched New Zealand's eugenics movement and hysteria accusations around young women during the 20th century. During an interview with ''Variety'', Dai described ''We Were Dangerous'' as an escape film about teenage girls "that really championed their friendships and had a lot of joy in it, in spite of all this dark historical context." Dai also collaborated with Stewart-Te Whiu and Waru in developing the screenplay. Stewart-Te Whiu and Waru's involvement with the project was motivated by the themes of female bodily autonomy and freedom from societal restrictions. Dai said that the film also sought to grapple with the themes of British colonialism, institutionalisation and the dichotomy between power and privilege. Stewart-Te Whiu's interest in the project was influenced by the experiences of her father in state care schools, which influenced the film's reform school setting. Lake Alice Hospital survivor Leonie McInroe also consulted the creative team on the development of the screenplay.


Casting

Erana James, Nathalie Morris and Manaia Hall were cast as the three teenage protagonists Nellie, Lou and Daisy. Auditioning for the teenage cast members were conducted across New Zealand. To build trust between the three lead cast members, the crew played trust games with James, Morris and Hall during rehearsals. The actors did a lot of improvisation for their scenes during rehearsals and avoided rehearsing scenes in the script to avoid "mechanical or robotic" performances during filming. Hall, who is of
Ngāi Tūhoe Ngāi Tūhoe (), often known simply as Tūhoe, is a Māori people, Māori iwi (tribe) of New Zealand. It takes its name from an ancestral figure, Tūhoe-pōtiki. ''Tūhoe'' is a Māori-language word meaning 'steep' or 'high noon'. Tūhoe people a ...
,
Ngāti Manawa Ngāti Manawa is a Māori iwi of New Zealand. Hapū and marae The tribe is made up of four ''hapū'' (sub-tribes). Each has a ''marae'' (communal grounds) and ''wharenui'' (meeting house). * Moewhare, based at Karangaranga marae and Moewhar ...
,
Ngāti Pukenga Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori society. In Māori, roughly means or , and is often translated as "tribe". The word is both singular and plural in the Māori language, and is typically pluralised as such in English. ...
descent, was selected for the role of Daisy at the age of 12. This was her first leading role in a film. Hall described her character Daisy as energetic, lively, humorous and "naive but smart in her own way."
Rima Te Wiata Heather Rima Te Wiata (born 11 October 1963) is a British-born New Zealand singer, comedian and stage, film and television actress, who is also notable for her career in Australia, especially her long-running recurring role in soap opera ''Sons ...
was cast as the antagonistic Matron, with Te-Whiu describing her casting as an "obvious choice, really." To reinforce the antagonistic relationship between the Matron and the teenage protagonists, Te-Whiu kept Te Wiata separate from the girls during rehearsals. The supporting female cast members were local teenagers from
Christchurch Christchurch (; ) is the largest city in the South Island and the List of cities in New Zealand, second-largest city by urban area population in New Zealand. Christchurch has an urban population of , and a metropolitan population of over hal ...
, many of whom had not acted before.


Filming

María Inés Manchego served as cinematographer. Filming took place on
Ōtamahua / Quail Island Ōtamahua / Quail Island ( or ) is an uninhabited island within Lyttelton Harbour / Whakaraupō in the South Island of New Zealand, close to Christchurch. The island was given its European name by Captain William Mein Smith who saw New Zealand ...
and the
Banks Peninsula Banks Peninsula () is a rocky peninsula on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand that was formed by two now-extinct volcanoes. It has an area of approximately . It includes two large deep-water harbours — Lyttelton Harbour a ...
near Christchurch. The film's cinematography was inspired by the work of Japanese photographer Osamu Yokonami. One impromptu scene involved the girls at the reformatory chanting and singing in
Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
against a faded picture of
Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...
and a sign stating "English Only." While the scene was not part of the script, Stewart-Te Whiu decided to include it in the film since the actors were performing with high energy during a warm-up session.


Post-production

The film's soundtrack was composed by Cam Ballantyne. The film production also utilised the services of eight Unitec drama school students and
Reb Fountain Reb Fountain (born June 1973) is an American-born New Zealand singer and songwriter known for her genre-defying blend of alternative folk, country and pop-rock music. She first rose to prominence as a teenager, when she was labelled the "best ...
for performing the soundtrack. In line with the film's theme of bodily treatment and autonomy, the drama students also performed the film's percussive elements. The film was edited by German editor Hansjörg Weißbrich, whom Stewart-Te Whiu hired "because he was not affiliated at all with the politics of our ew Zealandfilmmaking, and just stayed character-focused and story-focused."


Release

The film had its world premiere at
South by Southwest South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Texas. It began in 1987 and has conti ...
on 8 March 2024. It also screened at BFI Flare: London LGBTIQ+ Film Festival on 21 March 2024. The film's New Zealand premiere was at the launch of the
New Zealand International Film Festival The New Zealand International Film Festival (NZIFF) () is a film festival held annually across New Zealand. The festival is operated by the New Zealand Film Festival Trust. It programmes international and New Zealand films. History The festiva ...
on 31 July 2024 in Wellington. Madman Entertainment and Piki Films distributed the film in New Zealand and Australia. The film was released in New Zealand on 22 August 2024.


Reception


Critical reception

David Ehrlich of '' IndieWire'' gave a mixed review, awarding the film a B minus. Ehrlich described the film as "a hopeful — sometimes borderline exuberant — rallying cry for girls to stick together across the various divides that people use to disempower them." He praised the performance of the main cast members Erana James, Nathalie Morris and Manaia Hall as well as the executive producer Taika Waititi and director Josephine Stewart-Te Whiu. Ehrlich was critical of the film's pacing and the lack of in-depth exploration into the story's social fabric. Cinefied's review praised Maddie Dai's screenplay for weaving a story of teenage girlhood friendship with the themes of indigenous peoples resisting colonisation and Christianisation. The review also praised Stewart-Te Whiu's directorship and the performances of James, Morris and Hall but acknowledged that some story ideas were not developed due to the story's short runtime. The review also praised cinematographer Maria Ines Manchengo for capturing the female-centric theme of the film. Alex Casey of ''
The Spinoff ''The Spinoff'' is a New Zealand online magazine and news website that was founded in 2014. It is known for current affairs coverage, political and social analysis, and cultural commentary. It earns money through commercial sponsorship and su ...
'' gave the film a positive review, describing it as "a soaring celebration of misfits and girlhood." She praised Dai and Stewart-Te Whiu for balancing the film's grim reform school setting with a fun, uplifting and joyous "
coming of age Coming of age is a young person's transition from being a child to being an adult. The specific age at which this transition takes place varies between societies, as does the nature of the change. It can be a simple legal convention or can b ...
" caper story. She praised the performances of the lead trio James, Morris and Hall while crediting Rima Te Wiata for bringing "glimmers of humanity and doubt" to the antagonistic Matron. She also praised Stephen Tamarapa's performance as the bumbling caretaker Barry. Casey also praised the quality of the costumes and set designs for creating the film's 1954 setting. James Croot of ''
The Press ''The Press'' () is a daily newspaper published in Christchurch, New Zealand, owned by media business Stuff (company), Stuff Ltd. First published in 1861, the newspaper is the largest circulating daily in the South Island and publishes Monday t ...
'' gave the film a positive review, describing it as a "Kiwi cross between ''
The Magdalene Sisters ''The Magdalene Sisters'' is a 2002 drama film written and directed by Peter Mullan, about three teenage girls who were sent to Magdalene asylums (also known as Magdalene laundries), homes for women who were labelled as " fallen" by their famil ...
'' and ''
The Shawshank Redemption ''The Shawshank Redemption'' is a 1994 American Prison film, prison Drama (film and television), drama film written and directed by Frank Darabont, based on the 1982 Stephen King novella ''Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption''. The film t ...
''." He awarded the film four stars. Croot praised Stewart-Te Whiu's directorship and Dai's historical research into institutional care and eugenics when developing the script. He also praised the performances of Te Wiata, James, Morris and Hall. Tom Peters of the ''
World Socialist Web Site The World Socialist Web Site (WSWS) is the website of the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI). It describes itself as an "online newspaper of the international Trotskyist movement". About The WSWS was established on Fe ...
'' gave the film a more negative review, criticizing the "jarringly upbeat and optimistic ending" and the "simplistic" story of female solidarity. He described the film as a "missed opportunity" because it "shies away from depicting the extent of the brutality that occurred in such facilities and the lifelong trauma inflicted on the young people."


Awards

Special Jury Award for Filmmaking 2024,
South by Southwest South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Texas. It began in 1987 and has conti ...
film festival, USA Best Pasifika Film 2024
Hawaii International Film Festival Hawaii ( ; ) is an island state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only state not on the North American mainland, th ...
, USA Best Youth Film 2024 SCHLINGEL International Film Festival in Chemnitz, Germany Best Narrative Feature 2024, Kerry International Film Festival, Ireland Best Women Series Film 2024,
San Diego International Film Festival The San Diego International Film Festival is an independent film festival held in San Diego, California, produced by the nonprofit San Diego Film Foundation. The main event has traditionally been held annually in autumn at venues in the Gaslamp Q ...
, USA


References


External links

* {{IMDB title, tt30813817 American LGBTQ-related films New Zealand LGBTQ-related films American coming-of-age drama films New Zealand coming-of-age drama films 2024 LGBTQ-related films 2024 directorial debut films 2020s American films 2020s New Zealand films