Mārama
Mārama, directed by Taratoa Stappard and starring Ariāna Osborne, is a scream of rage that echoes through the generations. It’s a vicious, unflinching look at colonialism through the eyes of a Maori woman whose assimilation to white culture does not protect her from the abuses visited upon her people. Cleverly told through the lens of the Gothic, it bridges the gap between the Victorian era of literature and its corresponding age of imperialism. It may pay homage to the literary genre that it pulls inspiration from, but Mārama is a creature all its own.
Mary Stephens (Osborne) is an island unto herself. Orphaned at a young age, she was raised by white migrants in New Zealand, indoctrinated into English culture and kept at arm’s length from her Māori origins. But although she grew into a respectable young woman, there was always a part of her that longed to know more about her background. So when she receives a letter from a mysterious stranger beckoning her to England with promises to tell her the truth about her parents, it’s an easy decision to make. She braves the long journey halfway around the world, but as soon as she arrives on English shores, something feels wrong.
The man who had summoned her all this way is nowhere to be found – in his place is the seemingly friendly Nathaniel Cole (Toby Stephens). And when it turns out that the man purported to have written to Mary has since died, Nathaniel suggests that she stay on permanently as a governess for his granddaughter Anne (Evelyn Towersey). Cole has a great respect and admiration for the Māori people, he claims, and is eager to have her join his household. But although it seems like a good situation for a woman like her, alone in the world and without any connections, but as in any proper Gothic story, things aren’t quite as they seem.
Although the narrative structure of Mārama is a product of Gothic literature, Taratoa Stappard takes it in a post-modern direction by centering so much of its sense of horror around the appalling treatment of indigenous people as a result of colonial interference. The paternalism that so often accompanies Victorian-era depictions of the Māori and other indigenous cultures – that they’re simple and pure, and therefore need to be protected by their intellectual superiors, much as a father would kindly look after his own children – is taken from the metaphoric to the disturbingly literal in Marama. Not only does this create an incestuous relationship between father and child, Englishman and Māori, but it emphasizes the revisiting of trauma on generation after generation of indigenous people, as well as the dissolution of family ties as colonists recarve the Māori to suit their needs.
Mārama is a bold feature debut for its director, demonstrating a unique voice all his own. But it also heralds the arrival of a new star in Ariāna Osborne, whose presence reverberates throughout the entire production. Although she seems quiet and demure at first, she’s full of rage, fury, and ultimately vengeance. As she learns the truth about her parentage and her family, she sheds the trappings of her white upbringing and reconnects with her Māori heritage. Her evolution as a character is fascinating to watch, culminating in her performance of a traditional Haka dance at an elegant party as the only way for her to assert her identity. The ghoulishness of Mārama’s final reveal is just about as Gothic as they come, exposing the ugly heart of colonialism for what it is, full of repeated violations that traumatize over and over again throughout the years.
Directed by Taratoa Stappard
Starring Ariana Osborne, Toby Stephens, Evelyn Towersey
Runtime 89 min
Language English, Maori