Don’t miss the chance to watch DEGANZ member Paolo Rotondo‘s Maunga Cassino during NZIFF this year! The 2022 short is screening before the Australian feature film Sweet As during the festival’s runs in Auckland and Wellington.

Set during World War II, a Māori warrior, an Italian deserter, and a scrawny rooster are trapped behind enemy lines. Despite the language barriers and international chaos, the two men find common ground, understanding, and compassion.

The film is based on an infamously bloody battle in 1944 where the 28 Māori Battalion fought Germany in the Italian village of Cassino. In an interview with Te Ao Māori News, Paolo talks about the duty he feels to tell this story and the production team’s aim to use cinema to heal from the past.

Earlier this year, Maunga Cassino won the WeShort Award for Best Short Film at ORA! FEST , an international film festival in Monopoli, Italy with a focus on the environment, art, and social justice.

We’ve compiled a list of when to catch DEGANZ members in NZIFF. Check it out to grab your tickets to Maunga Cassino and Sweet As!