The Lascar

At the end of the 18th century, hundreds of Indian sailors, known as lascars, worked amongst European settlers in Aotearoa New Zealand - often under the gruesome working conditions of seal hunting gangs. The story follows a lascar, Dasa, who has been abandoned on the coast of Aotearoa NZ by the East India Company, alongside his sealing gang. When Dasa finds himself in the middle of a conflict between his abusive British superior and two Māori traders, he is faced with a choice: bend the knee or take a stand.

Cast

V

Vinith Shiva

Dasa

M

Mark Matthews

Freddie

Tanea Heke

Māia

M

Mohammad Kunwar

Mamun

F

Fredrick Pokai

Rui

F

Finn McCauley

Gunther

Ian Blackburn

Oswald

P

Poonam Batra Malhotra

Poetic Narration