Against the Lights

Based on Witi Ihimaera short story 'The Truth of the Matter', this drama explores racial stereotypes. An assault on a Pākehā taxi driver by his Māori passengers lies at the core of a narrative that takes aim at prejudice in Aotearoa. Each of the four characters offers a different perspective on what happened. In one account, the driver (Gliding On's Ross Jolly) tells his passengers "don’t slam the door Hori!", evoking a time when this popular derogatory term for Māori was about to fall from favour. Sam Pillsbury directed it for an unrealised series on race relations; it was shelved for 18 months, then screened on Kaleidoscope.

...a strong and confrontational film, which explores racial discrimination within its central concern of how 'truth' is determined by the point of view of the 'truth' teller.

– Writer Lawrence McDonald in 2011 book New Zealand Film - An Illustrated History, page 161

Key Cast & Crew

Peter Brunt

As: Second defendant

Hemi Rua Rapata

As: First defendant

Sam Pillsbury

Director, Writer, Producer

Melanie Rodriga (née Read)

Editor, Production Manager

Witi Ihimaera

Original Author

Ross Jolly

As: The taxi driver (the complainant)