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Kawa

Wolfe Releasing / Year: 2010

DVD

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$19.99 (20% off)
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Synopsis

Kawa is the man who has everything. He’s a corporate high-flyer, being groomed to take over his prominent family’s company, properties and legacy. He and his beautiful wife Annabelle have two children –16-year-old Sebastian (Pana Hema-Taylor) and 7-year-old Miranda (Miriama Jane Devantier) – who he loves deeply. They live in an elegant house and all appears perfect in their world. But Kawa has a secret. He is gay. He always has been. And he’s never shared his secret life with his wife or his family.

Kawa was brought up by his parents – Hamiora (George Henare) and Grace (Vicky Haughton) – and his whanau (‘family’) with a strong sense of duty, is a man of special gifts who is expected to lead his community, and moves easily within both Maori and Pakeha worlds. Until recently Kawa has led a perfected double-life, but now his father Hamiora is retiring and ready to hand him the mantle of leadership. At the same time, his lover Chris is pushing for more recognition in Kawa’s life, no longer happy with keeping their relationship a secret. As the film opens, Kawa has moved out of the family home. His wife is desperate to understand why – she knows the marriage is in trouble – and she wants to do whatever it takes to make things right. But Kawa is unable to talk about it. He hopes, instead, that he can continue to keep his life in separate compartments. But when his lover arrives at the whanau celebration of his father’s birthday celebration, pressures intensify and Kawa realises that his life must change. And that many people will be hurt, including himself.

3 Reasons To buy this film

Kawa is based on the novel "Nights in the Gardens of Spain" by acclaimed New Zealand author Witi Ihimaera - the same writer behind Whale Rider.
Calvin Tuteao gives a touching and emotionally powerful performance as a family man who can no longer deny his love for another man.
For his performance, Dean O'Gorman scored a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the New Zealand Film and TV Awards.

Review

Openly gay Kiwi author Witi Ihimaera is best known for his novel “The Whale Rider” (the 2002 film adaptation received great critical acclaim and both BAFTA and Academy Award attention), but “Nights in the Gardens of Spain” is easily his most personal work. The story, following a married father who comes out of the closet late in life, parallels Ithimaera’s own history – the author kept his sexual identity hidden until he was 40 years old.

The emotional new film Kawa is a faithful adaptation of “Nights in the Gardens of Spain.” Director Katie Wolfe and screenwriter Kate McDermott have changed the eponymous character’s tribal background – from Pakeha (European) to Maori (Polynesian), to more closely reflect Ithimaera’s heritage – but leave much of the story intact.

Calvin Tuteao gives a memorably heartfelt performance as Kawariki, a kind and caring “everyman” who keeps his homosexuality a secret from others – as well as, to some degree, himself. He is no stranger to gay sex. He frequents bathhouses (often enough that he is recognized and approached in public by a fellow cruiser), but he has never had a serious romantic relationship with another man. His wife Annabelle (Nathalie Boltt) suspects that something strange in going on. They have seperated. Kawa is living in an apartment and carrying on an affair with Chris (Dean O’Gorman), a younger theater actor who wants more of a commitment than Kawa is willing to give. Meanwhile, Kawa’s father is retiring as head of their family tribe and passing leadership responsibilities down to his son and Annabelle is worried over their son Sebastian’s (Pana Hema-Taylor) sudden sexual exploration with his girlfriend. Kawa’s worst problem comes, however, when his mother spies him kissing Chris on the beach outside of their home. When a sense of dread starts creeping into his well-guarded life, and hinders both his relatioships and his performance at work, Kawa begins to realize that he can’t keep his secret forever.

Featuring all-around excellent performances, a gorgeous seaside New Zealand setting and a very moving story, Kawa plays out like a modern fable – the moral of which is to be yourself. The people worth loving in life will return their affection as long as you’re honest about who you are.

-- Robert O'Neill

Product Format Information

DVD : $19.99

Availability: In stock and ready to ship
Close Caption: Yes
Region Code: 1
UPC: 754703763754

Studio : Wolfe Releasing

Languages: English (Primary)

Customer Reviews

Almost....almost as if seen from a......

just a reviewer wrote on 06/05/2012:

...Woman's Point of View...and involving much of a woman's sensitivity.

And yet the movie we're given is from a story written by a man, Witi Ihimaera. A man well known for an acclaimed, later literary work (and film), "The Whale Rider" (world premiere at the 2002, Toronto International Film Festival). Still, this is an author who seems to possess much of the "sensitivity" referred to above. In truth, female touches abound, which should be no surprise inasmuch as this film work was steered by Director Katie Wolfe, aided by the screenplay work of Kate McDermott. So, in essence, this is almost as much the story of our Gay lead, Kawa's ....Wife....his Mother....his Daughter, as it is of the man, himself.

BUT, woman's point of view or not, the Pain....the Angst....revealed to us in Calvin Tuteao's characterization of Kawa is REAL. For at its heart this is a story of a man from whom much is, and has been, expected by his Maori societal group....and family. We see a Gay man who has, in fact, led a heterosexual married life (with children). Nevertheless, what we are shown in Kawa is a man experiencing a severe case of "Closetophobia".....and a near disabling Fear of Disapproval.

Yes, there is a male lover (on the side)....and visits to a bathhouse. BUT for those anticipating finding more than mere hints of Gay romance or Gay love scenes in this work, I must reluctantly say such hopes will be dashed. The emphasis seems to be, instead, upon heterosexual closeness....family closeness. And fear of loss of the latter.

Oh, there is a "final stand" taken against family...and society, and that is effectively conveyed to we viewers. But I will reveal nothing more about this film's closing storyline. I can say, however, that production values were unexpectedly high, from this film goer's point of view. And gorgeous New Zealand scenery doesn't hurt at all (rating credit was given for all this).

I have yet to decide whether to keep this video in my Gay Film Library.

(( AWARDED 2.5 STARS ))

a surprise hit

the lover in me wrote on 05/29/2012:

new zealand surpise enjoyed it. another coming of age late in life on coming out. only if people get a clue that just because they dont like gayness, we are not going away. and that so many lifes would be better . because gay men and women wouldnt have to go down the wrong role and hurt someone else because of the hate of being gay.