The Whanganui River settlement of Jerusalem/Hiruhārama had a moment in the national spotlight when poet James K Baxter lived there in the early 70s — but it is home to a long established Māori community and the Catholic order of the Sisters of Compassion (since 1892). To make this documentary, Miriam Smith and Christopher Pryor spent a year in Jerusalem, following the lives and interactions of the nuns and the Ngāti Hau. North & South called their observations of a world of co-existing contrasts — Māori and Pākehā, young and old, secular and religious — “a cinematic treat.”
Relationships deepened over the course of the year. You'll notice that the camera also gets closer and closer over the course of the year until you're a foot away from people's faces.– Director Chrisopher Pryor
Made in association with the NZ Film Commission, Creative New Zealand's Independent Filmmaker Fund and Whanganui District Council
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