In 1981, teenager Josh Waaka [Julian Dennison] lives with his widowed English-born mother Shirley [Minnie Driver] and his older brother Jamie Waaka [James Rolleston] in Dunedin. Josh and Jamie are of mixed Māori and European heritage, with their late father being Māori, and the family dynamic sits at the center of a city still wrestling with identity and politics. Josh attends the private St Gilbert's School for Men, a place where discipline and tradition clash with growing calls for change. The school is steered by the stern Principal Slane [Mark Mitchinson], a figure who openly backs the 1981 Springboks tour and condemns anti-tour protests as unpatriotic. The contrast between the school's rugby-obsessed culture and Josh’s own dreams creates a quiet but persistent tension within him.
Jamie, once a standout rugby player for the school, is sidelined by a crippling leg injury, leaving him a constant presence in Josh’s life and a reminder of how quickly talent can fade and expectations can shift. The siblings’ shared heritage and the weight of their family history seep into Josh’s daily life, making his struggles with belonging all the more acute. Josh is not content with the path laid out for him; he longs to explore acting and the world beyond the rugby pitch, a passion that feels both risky and deeply true to who he is. His personal journey begins to crystallize when he forms a bond with the drama teacher Brother Madigan [Rhys Darby], a patient mentor who sees potential in Josh and encourages him to pursue the arts, even if the world around him prizes a different kind of success.
Through local activist Samantha [Erana James], Josh becomes entangled in the burgeoning anti-tour movement, a social and political current that resonates with many in Dunedin’s Māori community. Samantha’s activism—and the cause she champions—mirrors larger struggles of dispossession and resistance that feel both specific to New Zealand and strikingly universal. This connection also introduces Josh to Tui [Mabelle Dennison], Samantha’s aunt, whose perspective and courage broaden his sense of community and justice. The personal and political begin to intersect in a way that pushes Josh toward choices that could redefine his future.
As the school year presses on, Principal Slane and Coach Dennis recruit Jamie to coach St Gilbert’s rugby team in a bid to win the season and elevate the school’s standing. Shirley agrees to what she sees as a compromise: if Jamie can secure a place for Josh on the rugby team, she will support the arrangement. The permit to balance both worlds—art and sport—tests Josh’s resolve and forces him to navigate conflicting loyalties: to his family, to his peers, and to himself.
At Samantha’s urging, Josh borrows Madigan’s camera to document an anti-tour protest in Dunedin. What begins as a personal project soon escalates into something larger when pro-tour supporters attack the protesters and the police disperse the crowd with force. The violence leaves a mark on the community, and Tui is hospitalised in the aftermath. Josh’s footage makes the front page of the local newspaper, turning him into a visible, if controversial, figure and drawing the attention of Principal Slane, who initially wants him expelled. Jamie steps in, threatening to resign as assistant coach, and the threat buys Josh a window of time to keep pursuing his ambitions while still standing in his truth.
Meanwhile, the grueling demands of the rugby season pull Josh away from the drama club, causing him to miss a crucial audition. Yet his determination does not waver. With Madigan’s help, he stages a powerful audition that draws on the play Foreskin's Lament, a choice that speaks to his voice and his need to be heard. Shirley, after hearing a recording of the audition, begins to understand and accept Josh’s dream of acting, even if it means stepping away from the safety net of the rugby field. This moment marks a turning point in their relationship, a quiet acknowledgement that Josh’s path is valid even if it diverges from the path the family has envisioned.
During a season that testifies to both skill and resilience, Josh’s presence helps St Gilbert’s claim a narrow victory against a rival team, a win that is tempered by the darker undercurrents swirling around the school and town. The celebrations are overshadowed by an arson attack on the local marae, an event that intensifies the sense of injustice and prompts scrutiny of those in power. Principal Slane’s attempt to shield the school from accountability is laid bare when he attempts to obscure the truth by claiming the entire team was at a drinking party at Dennis’ home. This act of deception deepens Josh’s disillusionment with the system and fuels his resolve to stand up for what he believes is right.
As the pressure mounts, Josh’s sense of justice becomes a catalyst for action. He stages a sit-in during a crucial rugby match, a bold, silent protest that is joined by Shirley, Jamie, Brother Madigan, Samantha, and several players from the team. The act halts the game and forces the community to confront the truth about Slane’s leadership and the treatment of activists and the Māori community at large. The aftermath sees Jamie presenting evidence to the police that challenges Slane’s version of events surrounding the marae fire, highlighting the power of testimony and the fragility of institutional narratives.
The film closes several years later, in 1984, with Josh preparing for another acting audition at a different school, a quiet sign that his dream persists and that the journey toward self-definition is ongoing. The story remains focused on Josh’s growth—from a young man wrestling with identity and belonging to a determined artist who refuses to be silenced by pressure or prejudice. Across the tapestry of Dunedin’s streets, classrooms, rugby fields, and protestors’ chants, the film traces a coming-of-age arc marked by courage, family bonds, and the belief that art can be a path to truth and change.
