Movie profile

The Lascar

Survival. Betrayal. Honor. In the harsh realm of Aotearoa's untamed shores, one lascar must navigate treacherous waters of loyalty to rewrite his destiny.

At the end of the 18th century, hundreds of Indian sailors, known as lascars, worked amongst European settlers in Aotearoa New Zealand - often under the gruesome working conditions of seal hunting gangs. The story follows a lascar, Dasa, who has been abandoned on the coast of Aotearoa NZ by the East India Company, alongside his sealing gang. When Dasa finds himself in the middle of a conflict between his abusive British superior and two Māori traders, he is faced with a choice: bend the knee or take a stand.

Directed by Adi Parige