Once Were Warriors - Family Unit

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Once Were Warriors The Family Unit “Once Were Warriors” is a film about a Māori family living in New Zealand and deals with their day to day hardships they face and obstacles they must overcome from lack of money or work to Alcoholism and the violence it induces. The culture of the Māori, other tribes, and the country of New Zealand during that period is seen through the Heke family. The family must deal with constant conflict and setbacks due to the differences between how the parents (Beth and Jake) were brought up. Beth was brought up in a Māori family who were wealthy as she grew up and Jake’s family were slaves living in the lower-class society of New Zealand. Their marriage was frowned on by their parents because they were marrying into different tribes and backgrounds. Despite their parents wishes they got married and had five children. Nig, Grace, Boogie and the two youngest; Polly and Huate. When we’re introduced to Beth in the film it becomes obvious she’s struggling under the weight of raring five children while the husband spends his days in the pub. Her role of a house-wife doesn’t leave her with much of a social life as she has to deal with keeping the house clean, cooking the food for her husband and looking after the children. During New Zealand at these times this was the socially acceptable norm, the hard working husband who supports the family financially and the role of woman at home; cooking, cleaning etc. It doesn’t help that her family isn’t as tightly knit as she’d want it to be. Nig, The eldest son, doesn’t speak to her and has abandoned the family to join a street gang and one of the middle children Boogie is due in court because of trouble with the law. The only family member who seems to support the mother is the Eldest daughter, 13 year-old Grace. When we first meet Jake he’s with some friend drinking in a
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