We acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which Cowra Civic Centre is built, the Wiradjuri – the original storytellers, musicians, dancers, artists and culture makers of this region. We acknowledge Elders past, present and emerging.
A timely biopic of the trailblazing female Māori leader, Dame Whina Cooper, whose extraordinary life saw her break gender boundaries, champion innovation, and fight for the recognition of her own culture, all the while staying true to her heart and her beliefs. Hokianga, 1895. A baby is born, but isn’t breathing. The father, a Māori chief and a Catholic catechist, sprinkles the baby with Holy Water, baptising ‘Joseph’. But when the baby splutters to life and loudly proclaims herself, the family realise that it’s a girl. Josephine. WHINA for short. Whina grows to understand her leadership role in difficult times and believes in her own indomitable spirit. For nearly a century, she never stopped asserting the rights of her people – land rights, women’s rights, education rights – and striving for unity between Māori and Pākehā. In 1975, Whina, frail but still sharp as a knife, is roused to unite Māori to fight not only for their land, but for their very existence. Beginning at front Te Roopu O'Te Matakite, she leads a sacred hīkoi over six hundred kilometres, from the top of New Zealand to Parliament House in Wellington. Whina charts the tumultuous personal journey and unshakeable inner strength that led Whina Cooper to become one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most formidable leaders. Cast James Rolleston, Rena Owen, Miriama McDowell, Vinnie Bennett, Tioreore Ngatai-Melbourne Director James Napier Robertson, Paula Whetu Jones
Cowra Civic Centre, 104 Darling Street, Cowra, 2794, View Map
104 Darling Street , Cowra 2794
Sunday 27 November at 5pm Wednesday 30 November at 10am Box Office Hours
Online 24/7 Phone & Counter Monday - Friday 10am - 4pm Phone 02 6340 2130
Classification PG - Mild themes Duration 112 mins Genre Drama Tickets $14 (transaction charges may apply)
Presented by the Cowra Civic Centre Cinema