Moa

A “HaynesFilm” FILM
WRITTEN BY Peter Haynes

A gentle Comedy, 'Moa' is set in 1976, a time when Asian people were a rare sight on New Zealand streets and certainly more so in rural Fiordland. It deals with a young Japanese Zoologist Kariudo, driven, imaginative and determined to make a name for himself by discovering an animal long thought extinct. He has made trips to Scotland, Tibet and the wilds of America and Australia in search of various creatures such as the Loch ness monster, the Yeti and the Tazmanian Tiger, so far without success.

Eventually, he arrives in Fiordland, New Zealand, with his companion Ryoushin, in search of the Moa. Their arrival in the town causes a stir to say the least, as does the reason for them being there. They enlist the help of a local guide, 'Pommie' Dave, a classically trained Maori, and stay at the only hotel in town owned by Barry, a WWII veteran with a grudge against the Japanese,

Barry also has a beautiful daughter, Moana, who is fascinated by the exotic and worldly Kariudo. When a huge storm traps the two Japanese in the town, Kariudo and Moana begin to grow closer, to the dismay of Barry, who still owns his old service rifle…

Based on a True Story.