We Were Dangerous is a coming-of-age drama set in 1954. It follows the lives of Māori teenagers Nellie (Erana James) and Daisy (Manaia Hall), along with Lou (Nathalie Morris), at the Te Motu School for Incorrigible and Delinquent Girls, where they are sent to a seemingly abandoned and isolated island. Under the iron-fisted rule of The Matron (Rima Te Wiata), the girls are viewed as a societal problem, and ultimately, their superiors aim to ensure they are conditioned to become obedient housewives and mothers.
After being caught shoplifting and left with nowhere to go or anyone to care for them, Nellie and Daisy develop a bond of sisterly love that provides them with the strength and resilience needed to survive in their unbelievable living situation. With the arrival of Lou, whose lesbian desires have led her to the school, the girls discover a connection that ultimately guides them toward their escape or, in this case, their salvation.
Narrated by The Matron, We Were Dangerous has a multi-level purpose of a story with a confession or acknowledgment of institution and ideology that needed examination, yet a woman of conviction trying to make sense of purpose and cause. The Matron is a powerful character with a very convincing role, which serves as the film’s anchor, yet she knows no better. Her subtle glances, deliberate directives, unwavering authority, and tendency to impose discipline- whether seen as discrimination or religious duty contribute to her formidable, overarching presence.
“Sent to a seemingly abandoned and isolated island.”
Understanding their circumstances, the girls are taken to an island where submission to The Matron and her support team offers no escape beyond chores and daily upkeep, which also encompasses school and its Christian indoctrination. Dressed in uniform and under strict rules, the girls adapt to their isolation until they are assigned to revive an infirmary.
With no explanation, the infirmary becomes a bizarre place of nighttime activity where girls are taken and emerging in pain and unwell. Blood and curdling screams are frightening, provoking unsettling emotions and a need to retaliate, which Lou, Nellie, and Daisy put into play. What ensues is freedom and purpose. Carefully devising a plan to end the unorthodox medical procedures occurring in the infirmary and planning an escape, the trio pulls off the miraculous.
Filmed on location in Ōtautahi Christchurch, Aotearoa, New Zealand, We Were Dangerous offers a glimpse into how the grotesque and the beautiful can coexist—or not at all. A supporting cast of young women, composed of local non-actors, delivers seamless performances. Additionally, We Were Dangerous marks the directorial debut of Josephine Stewart-Te Whiu, whose visual storytelling is provocative, beautiful, and poignant while also conveying an important message about women, their bodies, and who controls them. Choosing to create a period piece reinforces Stewart-Te Whiu’s purpose, which is highly relevant to today’s treatment, understanding, and history of indigenous peoples and boarding schools.
"…provocative, beautiful, and poignant while also conveying an important message about women, their bodies, and who controls them"
