Ever the Land (NR)

synopsis

This documentary explores the sublime bond between people and their land through a landmark architectural undertaking by one of New Zealand's most passionately independent Maori tribes, Ngai Tuhoe. For the past 150 years, the relationship between Tuhoe and the New Zealand government has been defined by longstanding grievances over severe colonization experiences. Then, in 2014 history was made: Tuhoe's ancestral homelands were returned, the New Zealand government gave an official apology and Tuhoe built the first ever "Living Building" in NZ, conceived as a testament to their values and vision. This documentary immerses us in a culture that is tightly woven into its land and an architecture that is defined by its integrity to it.