Dark Green

Abstract

This thesis is presented in two parts: a script for a feature film titled Dark Green; and an exegesis which provides an academic context for and reflects on the development of the work. My research was focused on the question of how a film script can explore perceptions of mental health through both a Western and a Māori lens, and what role pūrākau may play in this understanding. This exegesis is structured in four sections. First, the literary research will be outlined in four parts: pūrākau, te ao Māori, te ao Pākehā, and film genres. Second, the methodologies and plans that I have created and implemented in developing my script. Third, the processes and outcomes of what I discovered during the writing of the script. Finally, the conclusion. Dark Green is a story that follows the protagonist, K.C, and the conflicts that arise when his sister, Grace, returns home for their father’s (Tame) imminent death. Tame’s last wish is to see his long-lost partner, K.C and Grace’s mother, one last time. Wanting to fulfil this wish, K.C attempts to contact the Patupaiarehe, the fairy-like people that Tame believes kidnapped her many years ago.