The expression is bad things happen in threes. What if it’s not just an expression but an actual phenomenon caused by an evil entity? The stranger.
He goes from place to place, town to town creating calamity wherever he is.
In this small town he will attempt to take faith from a priest, love from a marriage and mana from a maori. If he succeeds there will be death.
Using a mystical manipulation of words he convinces the priest that his god, his church and his life is a lie. He convinces a farmer he is trapped by responsibilities he did not choose. He convinces the farmer’s wife that to be provided for is her inheritance and he convinces a chief that if rights are not freely given they must be forcefully taken.
Will the priest commit the sin of suicide? Will the farmer leave his life or will the wife take it? And will the chief kill?
The story behind the story.
This is a commentary on the literary movements that have influenced New Zealand. Maoriland, the Phoenix group and the Women/ethnic movements.
These literary movements (media) have reported with bias and dictated with prejudice only to become the gospel, the rule, the way things are. Singular.
Life is duality. Is it the Noble Savage or Man without existentialism? Is it a land too hard or a mind too soft? Are Women complicated or do others need them to be? Is it better to struggle for equality or to search for identity?
This is the archetypal Angst kiwi movie (Vigil, Smash Palace,Mr Wrong, Utu).
Laying bare the dark undercurrents that are veiled beneath the societal self righteousness of our heartland.