New Zealand / 2013 / 99 min/ DCP / colour / Drama

Director : Dana Rotberg

Script : Dana Rotberg
Cinematography : Alun Bollinger
Editing : Paul Sutorius
Music : John Psathas
Production : John Barnett, Chris Hampson
Cast : Whirimako Black, Rachel House, Antonia Prebble, Nancy Brunning

Toronto Festival 2013

Paraiti (Whirimako Black) is a medicine woman. She is the healer and midwife of her rural, tribal people - she believes in life. But new laws are in force prohibiting unlicensed healers. On a rare trip to the city, she is approached by Maraea (Rachel House), the servant of a wealthy woman, Rebecca (Antonia Prebble), who seeks her knowledge and assistance in order to hide a secret which could destroy Rebecca's position in European settler society. If the secret is uncovered a life may be lost, but hiding it may also have fatal consequences.

Dana Rotberg

Mexican filmmaker Dana Rotberg has lived and worked as a director, writer and producer in Mexico, France and Bosnia and Herzegovina. She is now based in New Zealand. Dana's first film was the feature-length documentary "Elvira Luz Cruz: Pema Maxima" (1985) which was awarded Best Documentary by the Mexican Film Academy. In 1989, she wrote and directed the feature film "Intimacy". Dana has thrice been given the prestigious honour of opening the Director's Fortnight at the Cannes International Film Festival. The first time was as Director of "Angel de Fuego" (1992) and the twice more as Producer of "Man, God and the Monster" (1994) and "The Perfect Circle" (1997). In 2000 Dana directed and co-wrote the Mexican feature film "Otilia Rauda" which won the NHK Filmmaker's Award at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival. In 2004, after watching the movie “Whale Rider”, Dana moved to New Zealand where she now resides. She released in 2013, her new feature "White Lies".