'' Mahana '' has received positive reviews from critics . The movie received an 85 % rating on the film review website Rotten Tomatoes . The movie was first screened at the 2016 Berlin Film Festival on February 13 , 2016 , prior to its New Zealand debut on March 3 , 2016 . '' The Guardian '' reviewer Henry Barnes awarded the film three out of five stars . Despite its simplistic and romantic storyline , Barnes described '' Mahana '' as a story that could apply to every family " whose male leader forgets that his role is to offer support , love and security &mdash; not hard-hearted rule . " '' The Hollywood Reporter '' Dave Rooney described '' Mahana '' as an old-fashioned family saga with conflicting impulses . He criticized John Collee 's script-writing , commenting that the " on-the-nose dialogue , ripe melodrama and preprogrammed emotional responses will test all but the most forgiving viewers "
2016 Berlin Film Festival
66th Berlin International Film Festival
Mahana (film)