Mārama

1859, North Yorkshire, England. When young Māori woman Mary arrives from New Zealand to investigate her parentage, she is dismayed to find that the man she had been corresponding with has passed. With limited options, she accepts the position of governess to a wealthy whaler’s granddaughter. But the gentleman’s kindly manner and avowed respect for Maori culture disguises his real nature…

An anti-colonialist gothic horror, Mārama is almost like a reverse-take on Jane Campion’s The Piano: here the journey is south to north, and Mary finds not love, but deep betrayal. Both films, clearly, owe a debt to the Brontë sisters, and first-time director Taratoa Stappard plunges headlong into the world of dark shadows and murky histories. In this, she’s abetted by a furious performance from Ariāna Osborne.

Mārama is a striking work. The shadows in the permanent dusk of the manor house interiors have an almost velvety quality; what colours there are in the frame – crimson plays a key role – have a vibrant, saturated intensity […] Ariāna Osborne is thrilling to watch.

Wendy Ide, Screen International

Stappard is undoubtedly interested in the most lurid and violent aspects of true high Gothic (or at least the Hollywood version of it) as a tale unfurls of murder, hidden passageways, closeted homosexuality, separated twins, incest, and supernatural visions. What makes Mārama intriguing is that this becomes the background for a story of cultural revenge.

Richard Whittaker, Austin Chronicle