Two special fundraising screenings of New Zealand documentary This Way of Life will take place in Raglan on Sat 11 and Sun 12 September.
Shot over four years This Way of Life tells the story of the Karenas – a family who have chosen an alternative lifestyle.
“In their early 30’s, Peter and Colleen have six kids and 50 horses. We follow them up into the Ruahine ranges and down to their hidden beach camp. Against these isolated backdrops we explore family relationships, their connection to nature, their keen survival skills and their absolute intimacy with each other and their horses.
We watch as Peter and Colleen celebrate the birth of a child and cope with a late miscarriage. Their attempts to navigate the discord between Peter and his father culminate in the theft of his valuable herd of horses and the burning of their beloved family home. Now homeless, we watch as Peter steers his family toward a new way of living and being. Regardless of their hardships, the Karenas manage to never lose sight of the magic in the everyday.
Nowhere is this more apparent than in the Karena children. Untamed and unafraid, the idea of risk is alien to them. To watch seven-year-old Aurora expertly ride a massive stallion bareback with no more than a rope halter asks us to reexamine our ideas of what children are capable of.
In This Way of Life, the Karenas unite their philosophy with their circumstances, turning hardship into a meaningful and satisfying life.”
The Raglan screenings of this film are to raise funds for Don and Otis Rowe, who are heading to the World Kickboxing Champs in Serbia.
Sat 11 & Sun 12 Sept
Old School Arts Centre, 6pm.
$10 adults, $5 kids under 11 years.
Food & beverages available. $5 curry & rice bowl!
