Mahana (2016): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2016, Mahana is a drama film directed by Lee Tamahori, running about 103 minutes.

What it’s about. It is the 1960s. Two Maori families, the Mahanas and the Poatas, make a living shearing sheep on the east coast of New Zealand. The two clans, who are bitter enemies, face each other as rivals at the annual sheep shearing competitions. Simeon is a 14-year-old scion of the Mahana clan. A courageous schoolboy, he rebels against his authoritarian grandfather Tamihana and his traditional ways of thinking and begins to unravel the reasons for the long-standing feud between the two families. Before long, the hierarchies and established structures of the community are in disarray because Tamihana, who is as stubborn as he is proud, is not prepared to acquiesce and pursue new paths. The story is adapted from Witi Ihimaera's novel Bulibasha: King of the Gypsies.

Who’s in it. Mahana stars Temuera Morrison as Grandfather Tamihana Mahana, Akuhata Keefe as Simeon Mahana, Nancy Brunning as Ramona Mahana and Jim Moriarty as Rupeni Poata, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.6/10, Mahana has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. In US you can rent or buy it from Amazon Video. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Mahana page.

If you liked it. Fans of Mahana tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.