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White Lies

Play trailer Poster for White Lies 2013 1h 36m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 6 Reviews 69% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings
A medicine woman is asked to hide a secret that will protect one life and endanger another.
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White Lies

Critics Reviews

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Tomris Laffly Film Journal International 03/07/2016
Thematically, White Lies is essential cinema, unafraid to delve into female issues even contemporary societies grapple with. Go to Full Review
Andy Webster New York Times 03/03/2016
Ms. Black, a New Zealand recording artist making her film debut, and Ms. House, both actresses of formidable presence, are well-matched opponents. Ms. Prebble, too, has reserves of power. Go to Full Review
Ernesto Diezmartinez Cine Vértigo 05/03/2016
A solid feminine melodrama about the colonial/racist past of the director's adoptive country. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review
Donald J. Levit ReelTalk Movie Reviews 03/18/2016
Showcases a triangle of strong female performances, impressive cinematography and music. Go to Full Review
Kam Williams Baret News 03/15/2016
3/4
A deeply moving reminder of man's inhumanity to man in less enlightened times. Go to Full Review
Simon Foster Screen-Space (Substack) 11/29/2013
[Whirimako] Black is a towering screen presence who honours not only Rotberg's and Ihimaera's creation but also the centuries-old dignity and customs of her people. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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11/14/2021 When she was young, white soldiers killed Paraiti's grandfather and their entire village. She was struck by a burning torch and left for dead. Now an elder medicine woman and midwife in a Maori village in New Zealand, the white man's laws are preventing her from healing the people who come for care. A visit to town and a request to come to the house of a rich white woman starts a chain of events that speak volumes about race, class and gender. White Lies, based on a novel by Whale Rider writer Witi Ihimaera, does all this in a beautifully filmed quiet but intense drama between three women. The acting is superb. Highly recommended, for men too. See more NE A 08/03/2021 "White Lies" is a New Zealand film about the damages, both overt and covert, wrought by oppression, but it is also about the deep spirituality and strength of roots and identity. Whirimako Black's performance as Paraiti, a Maori healer is quietly powerful. See more 07/17/2021 absolutely loved it, serious, sad See more 03/24/2021 Se trata de una cinta fabulosa con una fotografía exquisita, actuaciones dignas y con una trama que ahonda en cuestiones tales como la identidad, las fronteras y el racismo recalcitrante de inicios del siglo XX (no mencionaré la maternidad puesto que a mi vista no es un tema central: Rebeca no desarrolla ese sentimiento por el producto de su vientre). Sin dudarlo, es un film donde Dana Rotberg, directora mexicana, demuestra un gran respeto por el cine, y eso lo agradezco enormemente, mucho más, estando sumergida en un entorno de producciones lamentables y desinteresadas por este arte. En una palabra: ¡sensacional! See more 12/02/2015 Starts off with an interesting premise then just goes downhill with annoying scenes See more 05/02/2015 This film is based on a novel by Witi Ihimaera, who also wrote "The Whale Rider." A Maori medicine woman-midwife-herbalist is asked by a Maori servant lady to help her white mistress who is pregnant and "needs" end the pregnancy before her husband arrives back from his trip abroad. This is the framework for this film centered around 3 strong women characters. It is a challenging film. Some of the issues it addresses colonialism, identity loss, and motherhood. The film revolves primarily around three willful women played beautifully by Maori singer Whirimako Black as the Maori medicine woman, Rachel House as the Maori servant woman, and Antonia Prebble as the white mistress. See more Read all reviews
White Lies

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Movie Info

Synopsis A medicine woman is asked to hide a secret that will protect one life and endanger another.
Director
Dana Rotberg
Producer
John Barnett, Chris Hampson
Screenwriter
Dana Rotberg
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 10, 2018
Runtime
1h 36m
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