An introduction to We Were Dangerous
Introduction to We Were Dangerous (Stewart-Te Whiu 2024) by Sarah Wootton at our screening in February 2025.
We Were Dangerous is a 2024 New Zealand drama directed by Josephine Stewart-Te Whiu and is her directorial debut. The screenplay is by writer and New Yorker cartoonist, Maddie Dai who was inspired to write this story while homesick during lockdowns in London. In one interview, she mentions her love for the Aardman film Chicken Run as one of her many inspirations. And it wouldn’t be a good Kiwi film with out at least a light touch of Taika Waititi – he’s among the crew of producers.
The story, set in New Zealand in 1954, takes place at the Te Motu School for Incorrigible and Delinquent Girls. Its aim is to ‘Christianise, civilise and assimilate vagrants, whores, sex delinquents, queers and the like.’ At the centre of the story is a trio of delinquent teens; white and well-to-do Lou (Nathalie Morris of Bump fame), who is sent away for making out with her female maths tutor, and Nellie and Daisy, cousins (but not in the white way) who were both arrested for shoplifting. Daisy is played by twelve-year-old Manaia Hall, and Nellie is played by Erana James, who you may recognise from our previous screening of Uproar.
We Were Dangerous was first released at South By South West (SXSW) where it won the narrative feature special jury award. It was screened on opening night of the New Zealand International Film Festival, and was a finalist for the First Nations award at Sydney Film Festival.
Girlhood and female friendship
I love a good coming of age story, especially one featuring spirited teenage girls, and this film is no exception. If you’re a person on the internet/chronically online like I am, you’ll know that girlhood is having a bit of a moment – we’re celebrating female friendship, claiming to be ‘just a girl’ and shamelessly reigniting our love for our childhood hobbies and interests. The trio of protagonists, along with the rest of the ousted girls rely on their togetherness to get through. There’s just the right balance of silly banter and sincere intimacy. Writer Maddie Dai says ‘humour and friendship are tools of resistance and survival.’
The supposed delinquent girls are strong female characters who overcome their oppressors. As a girl who’s sometimes felt like a bit of a misfit, I loved and related to the three main characters – Nellie, Daisy and Lou. At the same time, as a teacher of many a delinquent girl, I could empathise with the matron. But as a girl mum, I’d be proud to raise my daughter to be as self-assured, courageous and collaborative as Nellie, Daisy and Lou.
Historical context
Underneath the more joyful themes, the film has a dark historical context. Whilst it is not based on any specific story, the writer drew inspiration from their own grandparent’s experiences. Similarly to Australia, New Zealand has their own dark history of British colonialism and the institutionalisation that came along with it. The film references a 1954 document called the Mazengarb Report, formally titled the Report of the Special Committee on Moral Delinquency in Children and Adolescents, which was delivered to every New Zealand household. This report ignited a national moral panic and overexaggerated the impact of Americanisation, and things such as comic books, as having a negative impact on teenagers, driving them to engage in unsavoury and risky behaviours.
In a tale as old as time, old white men in power are threatened by and seek to control female fertility. Availability of contraceptives is blamed for a perceived increase in promiscuity among young women. Eugenics programs sought to sterilise the ‘unfit’, who in this case are Indigenous people and those with ‘mental illnesses’ such as homosexuality.
Appropriately, the film’s release closely coincided with the release of the final report from a long running Royal Commission into Abuse in Care, which revealed details on hundreds of thousands of cases of mistreatment in institutions such as the one in the film over 70 years.
Cinematography
This film was shot on location on Otamahua (Quail Island) and the Banks Peninsula near Christchurch. The rugged coastal landscape is both harsh and beautiful. I think the casting, costuming and minimal makeup on the protagonists mirrors an unconventional, undoctored beauty.
The colours in this film really emphasise the 1950s drabness of a government institution, as well as the austerity of the landscape. Muted greens, browns and blues make brighter colours stand out as the story develops. Towards the end of the film, we are treated to a cast of colourful cardigans and a flag – not white for surrender but red for rebellion!
We Were Dangerous is a school-night friendly 82 minutes and definitely has an ending worthy of discussion, so please stick around at the end for a chat. Enjoy the film!
Further reading
'We Were Dangerous' Review: A Funny and Frightening Tale of Friendship and Fight - Taylor Gates, Collider, 16 Mar 2024
‘We Were Dangerous’ Team on How New Zealand’s Early 20th Century Eugenics Movement Inspired Sterilization Plot in Taika Waititi-Produced SXSW Film - Jennifer Maas, Variety, 22 Mar 2024
How homesickness and a bit of delusion helped Maddie Dai write hit new film, ‘We Were Dangerous’ - Bridget Jones, The Post, 27 Jul 2024
Review: ‘We Were Dangerous’ is a soaring celebration of misfits and girlhood - Alex Casey, The Spinoff, 1 Aug 2024
Australian actor Nathalie Morris on MIFF film ‘We Were Dangerous’ and making the leap to screenwriting - Jane Rocca, ABC, 19 Aug 2024
It’s impossible to resist the rebel alliance in ‘We Were Dangerous’ - Liam Maguren, Flicks, 19 Aug 2024