SPIRIT OF AOTEAROA
A conversation between Mother Earth and her youngest child, a small greenstone TIKI called AOTEAROA.
EXT. CLOUDY SURFACE OF THE SPIRIT WORLD - DAWN
A stressed AOTEAROA bounces from cloud to cloud looking for mother.
AOTEAROA
Mama! (Pause) Mama? (panicked) MAMA!?!
A swirl of mist and AOTEAROA is surrounded by dense cloud
MOTHER VO (kind)
Hush young one I am already here…
AOTEAROA
(Relieved) Mama!
MOTHER V/O
What’s wrong little one
AOTEAROA
(confused) Mama? Why am I different?
MOTHER V/O
(Surprised) Different? What makes you say that?
Clouds part to reveal the entire country of New Zealand far below twinkling in the morning light.
AOTEAROA
Look at me…
I’m not like the others…
MOTHER V/O
And…
AOTEAROA
Well… I am small
MOTHER V/O
Ahhh
We ZOOM in slightly and slowly pan across the country capturing the glistening lights of the cities, the snow capped mountains and the twinkling of the Pacific ocean.
AOTEAROA
And I am not the richest
I do not have a history that goes
back thousands of years
Or cities numbering in the millions
And whereas the others are bordered
by countries
I am surrounded by OCEAN
Far from the rest of the world
See? I am small
I am different.
A pause as smoke billows around AOTEAROA lifting and carrying the TIKI off and down towards New Zealand ZOOMING Closer and Closer…
MOTHER V/O
(amused) Come child. Come with me.
Let us see how different you truly are…
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT. BLUFF – DAWN
An aerial flyby of fishing boats pulling in their catch
MOTHER V/O
You are right. You are small. And because
you are small will never have to suffer the
pain of watching your people starve
DISSOLVE TO:
SNOWY MOUNTAINS: EXT – QUEENSTOWN – DAWN
We fly unencumbered down and along the water...
MOTHER V/O
You may not have all the money in the world –
but look around. ALL the riches of nature
flourish in abundance all around you…
DISSOLVE TO:
MAJESTIC RIVER: EXT – MORNING
As we fly through a canyon almost touching the sides and out the end
MOTHER V/O
You are young. True. But remember the young
have the benefit from learning from the
mistakes from those that have gone before them.
Watch. Listen. Learn. Share.
DISSOLVE TO:
AUCKLAND CITY: EXT – MORNING
High above AUCKLAND city
MOTHER V/O
And yes, your cities may be small.
But look closer.
DISSOLVE ZOOM TO:
UNDERGROUND: MOLTEN LAVA SURGES - NOW
MOTHER V/O
Within even the smallest grain beats the spirit
of a nation - and it beats as one
SFX: Distant sound of a haka..
DISSOLVE TO:
MUD POOLS: EXT – ROTORUA – MORNING.
Steam rises as we fly over the hot pool dodging and avoiding an erupting geyser.
MOTHER V/O
And although your neighbours are far away,
you have never had to carry the scars of a world at war
MOTHER V/O
Open your eyes
DISSOLVE TO:
SURGING OCEAN: EXT – WEST COAST – MORNING.
We look toward the open sea as fish leap in and out of the water...
MOTHER V/O
Bare witness to the majesty that is Pacific Ocean –
she both protects and nourishes you. Respect
and honour her– always.
And as for being alone…(sigh) Little one...
If you are from the Pacific…
Slowly we see other cultural Icons (tikis) from all the other pacific Islands appear and disappear in the clouds…
SFX: (Chant) hee…hee…heee
MOTHER V/O
you are never alone.
AOTEAROA takes to the skies
MOTHER
Young one. You are not so different as you are pure.
Come. Embrace it…For purity has a value
beyond imagination.
DISSOLVE TO:
HIGH IN THE CLOUDS: EXT - NOW.
AOTEROA bursts through the clouds and beyond. AOTEAROA stops and takes another look at New Zealand far below.
MOTHER V/O
Use it to inspire others and every so
often have the courage to look at
yourself through the eyes of another.
We pan around 360 capturing the beauty of New Zealand as seen from high above the planet
MOTHER V/O
And that way your spirit will remain
forever pure.
Now rest little one…
AS the young AOTEAROA lies down and wraps the country around him like a blanket before gently becoming one with the land again
MOTHER V/O
The world awaits a dreamer to open
their eyes to the beauty within
And your time is fast approaching
FADE TO BLACK
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: KIWI. Not the best artist. Lives in Fiji. Loves coming home. Hates the exchange rate. Works as a CREATIVE Copywriter