Themes: Interracial/Cross-Cultural Romance, Culture Clash, Immigrant Life
Main Cast: Jing Zhao, Aleksandra Vujcic, Julian "Sonny" Arahanga, Rade Serbedzija
Release Year: 1996
Country: NZ
Run Time: 92 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Along with Once Were Warriors, Broken English effectively captures contemporary New Zealand as a society in transition. Broken English dramatizes how the effect of immigration to the cities of New Zealand by both its native peoples, the Maoris, and Europeans seeking refuge from political persecution has not produced a harmonious melting pot. Ivan (Rade Serbedzija) is an embittered Croatian who fled to his wife's native Aukland when war broke out in Bosnia. Brooding over TV news reports on what is happening to his homeland (and displaying more than a little guilt over his flight from there), Ivan lashes out at anyone outside of his insulated Croatian community, including his gentle Maori neighbors. His drug-running business allows him a comfortable lifestyle, but he's still irritated that his young adult daughters won't mind him. The eldest, Nina (Aleksandra Vujcic), is a waitress who takes up with a colleague, a Maori cook named Eddie (Julian "Sonny" Arahanga, who also appeared in Once Were Warriors), in part because he's attractive but also to tweak her father. Complicating matters is an arranged marriage Nina has agreed to with a Chinese immigrant colleague at the restaurant; he's willing to pay her 16,000 dollars just to make his residency legal, so he can be with his girlfriend, Clara. Originally rated NC-17 for an energetic but hardly explicit sex scene between Nina and Eddie, the film was later edited to earn an "R" rating. ~ Tom Wiener, All Movie Guide
Temuera Morrison - Manu; Greg Johnson - Doug; Yang Li-ching - Wu; Stephen Hall - Ivan's Mate; Marton Csokas - Darko; Madeline McNamara - Mira; Li Yang - Wu; Jing Zhao - Clara; Michael Langley - Jura; Stephen Ure - Ivan's Mate; Chris Anderton - Palermo Band; Gilbert Goldie - Cab Driver; Barbara Cartwright - Jasmin; Amanda Rees - Nurse; Nancy Anthony - Essie's Party Guest; Vinko Bakich - Ivan's Mate; Mary Ball - Essie's Party Guest; Rudi Bartus - Ivan's Party Guest; Milka Bilcic - Ivan's Party Guest; Zeljko Bilcic - Ivan's Mate; Dominic Blaazer - Palermo Band; Berta Boric - Ivan's Party Guest; Sinisa Copic - Croatian Relatives On Home Video; Tetapu Daniel - Essie's Party Guest; Nora Eiao - Essie's Party Guest; Terangi Eiao - Essie's Party Guest; Dywane George - Essie's Party Guest; More George - Essie's Party Guest; Crystal Harris - Essie's Family; Shane Harris - Essie's Family; Anna Jankovaic - Croatian Relatives On Home Video; Zaho Jing - Clara; Mirija Jukic - Ivan's Party Guest; Naomi Kino - Essie's Family; Tihana Kovacevic - Ivan's Party Guest; Emma Lovell - Nina And Eddie's Daughter; Jerry Lovrin - Ivan's Party Guest; Apera Mangi - Essie's Party Guest; Elizabeth Marvic - Vanya; Tiromoana Mil - Essie's Party Guest; Junior Moses - Essie's Party Guest; Ajrin Nenadic - Ivan's Party Guest; Iavn Nobilo - Ivan's Party Guest; Mary Nola - Ivan's Party Guest; Tony Pecotic - Ivan's Party Guest; Rocky Pepe - Essie's Family; Bruno Relic - Croatian Relatives On Home Video; Mona Ross - Auntie Marja; Chris Ruka - Reverend Essie; Romey Ruka - Essie's Party Guest; Pero Skoric - Ivan's Party Guest; Makedon Stojkov - Croatian Relatives On Home Video; Fred Sy - Chow; Taokotaianga Cultural Group - Essie's Party Guest; The Dalmatian Club Of Auckland - Ivan's Party Guest; Marija Tomic - Ivan's Party Guest; Nui Tuakana - Essie's Wife; Tai Tuakana - Essie's Party Guest; Morena Tutugoro - Sashka; Teariki Vaerua - Essie's Family; Tepori Vaerua - Essie's Family; Nellye Vela - Ivan's Party Guest; Gordana Vluck - Croatian Relatives On Home Video; Patrick Wilson - Dave
Credit
Clive Memmott - Art Director, Fiona Edgar - Casting, Glenis Foster - Costume Designer, Gregor Nicholas - Director, David Coulson - Editor, Timothy White - Executive Producer, Mike Kane - Production Designer, John Toon - Cinematographer, Robin Scholes - Producer, Tony Johnson - Sound/Sound Designer, Gregor Nicholas - Screenwriter, Johanna Pigott - Screenwriter, Jim Salter - Screenwriter
