Private Project

God King and Country

Inspired by a true story of the Maori Battalion in World War II. The reality of war sets in as Boogy, Hina, Rangi and Edison, find themselves trapped on enemy territory. The cousins left their country home town of Porirua, New Zealand two years prior and are deep in the dominion of WWII. The men quickly realize that they have been surrounded by Hitlers brutal army. Each of the soldiers feels powerless to wage a counter attack against the German soldiers. Edison, the eldest of the cousins, decides that the only way out is to create a diversion by performing their traditional Haka

  • Kiri Barber
    Director
  • Terrance Raj
    Director
  • Kiri Barber
    Writer
  • Louise Barber
    Producer
  • Eds Eramiha
    Key Cast
    Mahana, Dead lands
  • Riana Barber
    Key Cast
  • Aroihi Chapman - Barber
    Key Cast
  • Arapeta Chapman - Barber
    Key Cast
  • Marino Chapman - Barber
    Key Cast
  • Fred Renata
    DOP
    800 words, Mou Piri: A Rarotongan Love Song, Fixing Juvie Justice, Mt Zion, Baby Steps
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama, Fiction, Romance
  • Runtime:
    13 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    October 31, 2013
  • Production Budget:
    40,000 AUD
  • Country of Origin:
    New Zealand
  • Country of Filming:
    Australia
  • Language:
    English, Maori
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes
Director Biography - Kiri Barber, Terrance Raj

Born and raised in the far north of New Zealand, Kiri now lives in Sydney - Australia.
His love of the arts has traversed from humble beginnings in kapa haka as a young man to writing and directing film. Kiri draws on his passion of Maori culture to tell the stories from a Maori directors' lens. Kiri works within the Maori community in Sydney, Australia on cultural events and projects. Kapa Haka has been the cornerstone of Kiri's work; he draws on Maori narratives and history to inform his work and is a proponent for Maori Arts in all mediums.
God King & Country, originated as theatre piece which Kiri directed and staged in Sydney in 2008, then toured NZ in 2009. In 2013, Kiri graduated from UTS, Sydney with a Master of Arts and Production. God King & Country has been his first short film.

Add Director Biography