Dvd
Rain of the Children
Vincent Ward's film unravels and re-imagines the story of Puhi, the Tuhoe woman he documented in 1978 for his early film In Spring One Plants Alone. Then she was 80 and caring for her schizophrenic adult son, and Ward was 21, a young art student capturing her way of life. While not the subject of his earlier film, Puhi believed herself to be cursed, and this unknowable curse is what preoccupies Ward now.
Puhi, he discovers, was chosen by Tuhoe prophet Rua Kenana to marry his son, she survived the 1916 police raid on Rua's Maungapohatu community and went on to have 14 children. Cutting between early footage, his own to-camera narration, contemporary interviews with Tuhoe descendents, and recreated historical sequences; Ward reveals both the heartrending background of Puhi's belief in the curse, and her lasting power over him. [Source: Sydney Film Festival 07]
Starring Miriama Rangi, Rena Owen, Temuera Morrison, Taungaroa Emile, Waihoroi Shortland, Toby Morehu, Mahue Tawa, Mikaira Tawhara, Harmony Wihapi
Directed by Vincent Ward ('River Queen', 'What Dreams May Come', 'Map of the Human Heart', 'The Navigator', 'Vigil')
Written by Vincent Ward
Documentary, Drama | 1hr 42mins | Rated (M) | violence, offensive language | Origin: New Zealand | Official Site »
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The Talk
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Flicks review
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4
The subject of this film is Puhi; a spirited, fascinating and very endearing old lady. A hunched and haunted figure, with a face you could look at for hours; you very quickly get the impression Puhi - or 'Nanny' - has had a hell of a life. We are introduced to her in her eighties, living an insular existence in the Urewera Ranges near Gisborne and still caring for her schizophrenic adult son Niki (who is no less intriguing). This strange and tense family unit was also the subject of Ward's short documentary In Spring One Plants Alone, made 30 years ago. Puhi died shortly after that, but since then director Vincent Ward has harboured a hunch - that a dark undercurrent he observed held a much bigger story. Compelled, he revisits the subject in the brilliant Rain of the Children.
And find out more he does, unearthing a very tragic tale. Puhi (who would eventually have 14 children in total) was ordained to marry the son of Maori prophet Rua Kenana. Stately and long haired, Rua Kenana attempted to revitalise his people after the New Zealand Wars. He called himself the Messiah, likening their plight to that of the Israelites. He created an amazing settlement that housed up to 1,000 followers at Maungapohatu, which he called 'New Jerusalem'. Puhi's life - her husbands, her children's tragic fate and the subsequent belief in a curse - is weaved through these historic times.
I mention all this, because I was so intrigued with the story and found it hugely insightful. The characters and the historical backdrop are just so damn interesting.
The film uses a whirlwind of archival footage, photographs, awesome re-enactments (in which Ward's unique visual flair is on show), and interviews with descendants and historians. Ward may be guilty of over-playing things, or forcing a narrative. For instance, Puhi's 'narration' voiced by Rena Owen sits uneasily and seems to put words in Puhi's mouth (especially when juxtaposed against actual footage of her). But such irks are only slight distractions to the film's bold and imaginative presentation. Like the audience enjoys discovering this story, Ward is enjoying telling it. He unfurls it like a campfire tale, and it's consistently captivating.
Rain of the Children corners and captures a specific part of history and, perhaps more importantly, a specific part of our culture that isn't obvious nor well known. I've been recommending it to everyone.
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The people's reviews
16 reviews
Press Reviews
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Hollywood Reporter
In the stunning docu-drama "Rain of the Children," New Zealand-born filmmaker Vincent Ward revisits the past to unravel a mystery that's niggled at him for three decades. Here meticulous research reveals the family secrets burdening the stooped old Maori woman who was, in fact, the subject of Ward's 1978 observational film "In Spring One Plants Alone." It's a masterful companion piece -- a kind of marathon director's cut -- but it also stands alone as a haunting historical epic. "Rain" is guaranteed a warm art house reception.
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NZ Herald [Peter Calder]
4
In exploring the fascinating past of a character in one of his earlier films, director Vincent Ward gets in the way of his own storytelling.
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TV3 [Kate Rodger]
3
1/2 Ward narrates his story both on camera and in voice-over, and once I settled in and got used to that, I found the film a compelling watch.
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Variety [USA]
Compelling and heart-wrenching.
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