Skoha (2016)

Anzac is a Maori guy living by himself in a small town. He is at home to look for a birthday present for his girlfriend' s daughter when he gets a phone call from his "unwell" son who shares his excitement at being allowed out to go to a concert. The conversation soon turns as the son accuses Anzac of not loving him as much as his new family. Anzac refuses to feel guilty. He manages to calm his boy down. Anzac heads to the party. Martha is a Mohawk woman living in the same town. She prepares a dessert to take to the birthday party. Her phone rings and it is a relation back in her Six Nations reservation home near Toronto. Martha helps to fill in the 'Missing' poster template that is used every time yet another indigenous woman goes missing in Canada. Sad at this news, Martha puts on her symbolic red dress (a symbol of missing and murdered indigenous women). Martha goes to the party. Anzac and Martha arrive at the same birthday celebration. Before he can go inside, Anzac gets a call and learns that his son has disappeared. Fearing the worst he rushes out to find his boy. At the same moment, Martha receives the good news that her relation has been found. She performs a traditional ceremony saying thanks. The story of SKOHA is about the gift of active love. Skoha was produced as part of the NATIVE Slam, 2016. The NATIVE Slam is an international indigenous filmmaking challenge where 15 established indigenous filmmakers came together in Aotearoa to produce 5 short films in 3 days.