Synopsis

Araatika! Rise Up follows Dean Widders’ personal journey to share his culture with the world.

In 2012, a group of First Nations NRL players, including Dean Widders, Preston Campbell, Timana Tahu and George Rose, with help from dancer and choreographer Sean Choolburra, came together to develop a pre-game ceremony that would be a response to New Zealand’s much loved, universally recognised and hugely respected Haka.

Rather than simply taking an existing dance, the players came up with a series of movements that reflected cultural symbols – the clan, the warrior, the boomerang, the spear. They concluded their new dance with a moment of reflection – to them, this emphasised that the silences are just as important, or even more important, than the spoken words.

The film also follows Widders' own personal family story and features interviews with his mother and father.

Trailer