Let it be known the normally fearless souls hard at work at Peaked don’t mind a good cry. And that’s what we got, as well as plenty of laughs, at The Mountain. This is the debut feature from Rachel House (Ngāti Mutunga, Te Atiawa, Kāi Tahu), but if you’re familiar with some of Piki Films’ other releases, like Hunt for the Wilderpeople, you’ll get the vibe.
Sam (Elizabeth Atkinson), who’s battling cancer, has been raised outside of her Māori culture. When she discovers her mountain is Taranaki, she decides to connect with it in the hope it will heal her. With help from a fellow patient, she escapes hospital and sets off. Along the way, she joins forces with the new kid in town looking for some mates, Mallory (Rueben Francis), and ‘runaway’ Bronco (Terrance Daniel) who’s already pretty in touch with his Māori culture. The mismatched trio head off together to climb Taranaki and help Sam get better, learning about adventure and friendship as they go.
“I believe origin stories and legends are often at their best in the hands of children,” says House. “Getting to tell stories with kids represents a special kind of magic, the kind you feel watching the stars or walking through the bush or dreaming about mountains.
“When I started this project, I knew I wanted audiences everywhere to see some of the wisdom and magic that exists within Te Taiao, the natural world. And to fall in love with our adventurous kids who discover that friendship can see you through just about anything.”
This is a truly heartwarming flick the whole family can enjoy, plus it’s a cool entry point into learning at bit more about Māori thinking and Taranaki itself. The kids – all the child actors are in their first films – are loveable and, despite Sam’s illness, it steers well away from doom and gloom. If you don’t manage to catch it at the cinema, look for it in the entertainment package next time you’re flying somewhere. It’s a perfect plane film.
About Taranaki: The descendants of eight iwi (Māori tribes) view Taranaki Maunga, and the surrounding peaks of Pouakai and Kaitake, as ancestors, and the mountains have recently been given legal personhood as part of a redress for their confiscation 157 years ago.
Owing to the huge significance of these maunga, extensive consultation was required to receive the blessing to include Taranaki in the film. A script read-through was initially held, supported by Tu Tama Wahine O Taranaki, with descendants invited to hear actors perform the script. Following this, a pathways plan was created by producer Mina Mathieson and a Taranaki advisory group formed, compromising iwi representatives to provide the production with guidance from pre-production through to release.
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