Set in 1970s Aotearoa, “Holy Days,” follows a trio of nuns as they embark on a road trip to rescue their convent from realtors. The nuns encounter much—and work with much—including a prayer in their hearts, a foot on the gas pedal of a ‘borrowed’ car, and a young boy on the run from a new development in his own home who helps in their crusade. Together, they must race to the nearest ferry to the next island to get in touch with an attorney who will get them the help they so desperately need.
With its witty humour and charming characters, Nat Boltt’s colourful and cute feature debut feels reminiscent to other beloved Kiwi ventures. Sprinign to mind are Taika Waititi’s works “Eagle VS Shark” and “Hunt for the Wilderpeople.” Both share an affinity for stop motion sequences and frequent use of miniatures in storytelling. “Holy Days” further shares a commonality with Josephine Stewart-Te Whiu’s directorial debut “We Were Dangerous,” another period piece that dealt with complex topics like identity. “Holy Days” addresses these through the subplot of Brian Collins (played by Elijah Tamati), the nuns’ mischievous partner in crime who is of indigenous descent. Apart from a lack of closure post his mother’s passing, Brian simultaneously struggles to connect to his Pākehā (Māori slang for ‘white’/Caucasian) stepmother and stepsisters.
Commentary and Comedy
“Holy Days” also briefly touches upon the history of Stolen Generations, a post-colonial practice of forced assimilation of Aboriginal children into white culture after uprooting them from their families. Thus, Brian’s fear of cultural erasure is a rational one, and he projects his misplaced rage and frustrations on his well-meaning step mother. The movie incorporates dialogue in the native tongue of Te Reo Maori too, which not only presents an underrepresented language on the big screen. It further enhances underlying messages of staying true to—as well as reclaiming—one’s roots from imposing forces.
In another scene highlighting the running themes of displacement and search for belonging, one of the nuns, Sr. Mary Clare (Jacki Weaver) consoles a grieving Brian, advising him to count his blessings. She points out he is surrounded by adults who love, care, and look out for him (the convent once housed countless babies and single mothers abandoned by society with no place to call their own or individual identity). The nuns, too, share a mutual sense of abandonment, following the closure of a nearby convent due to gentrification, which once served as their safe haven and a home away from home
A Great Cast
Furthermore, “Holy Days” is a sensitive study of Brian’s quest for closure as he is adamant to scale Aoraki, the highest mountain in Aotearoa, come hell, literal hail, or high water. Carrying a snow globe containing a replica of the mountain, the young boy harbours the belief that his deceased mother resides on Aoraki ‘s snowy peak and thus wishes to reunite with her via this unorthodox ‘act of penance’.
Judy Davis, Miriam Margolyes, and Jacki Weaver play Sisters Agnes, Luke and Mary Clare respectively, and are delightful as the cordial and rebellious elderly nuns who are virtuous. Yet they’re also prone to small vices/temptations such as a smoke break for when tensions arise. The depiction humanises elderly members of the clergy in particular. It depicts a lonely life led without caretakers of their own and differs greatly from the cold Mother Superior in “Small Things Like These”).
A Love Letter to Fighting Back Against Injustice
The trio are akin to a fun bunch of grandmothers rather than conventional women of the cloth. Watching their shenanigans unfold on-screen, I was in fact reminded of the Austrian nuns who made the news last year for fleeing a retirement home and subsequently returning to their convent against all odds. The veteran actors also match the childlike sensibilities of young co-star Elijah Tamati. The hilarious Jonny Brugh (best known for his roles in “Thor Love and Thunder” and as the vampire Deacon in the horror-comedy “What We Do in The Shadows”) offers ample support as Fr. Findlay. He’s a perpetually drunk and money-minded priest, while Craig Hall and Nat Boltt round out the ensemble as Brian’s parents.
Lastly, “Holy Days” is a pleasantly optimistic reminder that miracles can take on many forms, be it a slope for that extra push when the good sisters eventually do run out of gas or a glove box stuffed with leftover lotto tickets to fund their journey. Much like the geriatric Sr. Luke who is high on pills, this movie is also high on heart. In a world turned inside out by tyrannical leaders, it heals wounds, sparks hope, and is a love letter to fighting back for a just cause.
*”Holy Days” is currently in theatres across North America, New Zealand, and Australia.
