We Were Dangerous (2024) Movie Script
1
When the British first
colonised New Zealand,
we were offered a great new
hope from the motherland.
Missionaries of the Lord
redeemed the uncivilised.
Today, our institutions
and educational facilities
are now the front line for
saving the uncultivated mind.
Nellie! Come along!
You too, Daisy!
Cooking for families.
Our mission is carried forth
by three central principles -
Christianise,
civilise,
assimilate.
These goals are the beating
heart of our school
for delinquent girls,
where troubled young women are
taught the skills for successful
re-entry into society.
My word! Look at the state
of these beds, girls!
You know what Jesus
says about beds, right?
Who can tell me what Jesus
says about unmade beds?
- Me, Matron. I can.
- Yes.
- Or, even better,
we could make you tell her.
You!
Why are you laughing?
Huh?
Can you tell us?
Quiet!
Settle.
Peggy.
Let's go.
She's awake! She's awake!
- Daisy! Daisy! Daisy!
- Nellie, is it time to escape?
Hurry!
Just wait! Go!
- Nellie!
- The Matron.
Shh.
- Did your fulla come?
- He's outside with his truck.
Hey.
Now.
Nellie! Here!
OK. Run! Run! Go!
- Come on! Come on!
- Hey!
Freddie! I can't believe
you came for us!
Yeah!
- Come on!
- Quick, quick, quick!
Yeah!
- Yes!
- Go, yes, yes! Yes!
You've got it!
You've got it!
OK. Yes. Daisy! Come!
Is it meant to be easier
than this to climb?
- You!
- Inner strength,
Daisy. Come on!
I can't do it!
- Nellie! Daisy! Get inside!
- Argh! Argh!
- What are you waiting for? Go!
The doctors say
the girl's legs will heal.
Yes... more or less.
But the baby is a problem.
She fell pregnant
under your supervision.
Well.
You'll be relieved to know
we have a solution which
eliminates the possibility
of such lapses -
theirs...
and yours.
This island
has a long history
of accommodating
dubious characters -
prisoners of war, lepers,
explorers en route
to Antarctica.
And?
The facilities are
not currently in use.
You and your delinquents
will use it.
An island?
The dining hall is here,
has a kitchen.
The old school house is here,
and then there are the huts -
here, here and here.
It's good to remind ourselves
if the island can
contain leprosy,
it can probably manage
a few girls on heat.
Oh. Right.
You know, if it were up to me,
I'd keep them there
until the menopause -
avoid any accidental
burdens on society.
We're preparing
them for marriage.
That is the main incentive we
offer. It keeps them motivated.
These fullas are liars.
It was way harder
than they made it look.
Do you have a suitcase?
No, just my sack.
I think the boat's
coming, Miss.
Pick up your bags.
Girls, get up.
Move towards the end
of the boat calmly.
Let's make
Jesus smile today.
- Come on.
- No. A bit faster. Come on.
Stop dragging your feet.
Walk with purpose.
Well, you know. We've got all
sorts - waifs, strays, vagrants,
whores,
sex delinquents.
That's technically different
from a whore.
Queers, too. Poofs, you know?
That's a new one.
But we can't know
everything they did,
prior to their arrival
at the institution.
What about this one?
Yeah. We heard she
a sex delinquent.
Well, she's
an exceptional case.
Sorry.
I'm Barry...
the caretaker.
I see you got my instructions.
Yeah.
- This way, then?
- Yeah.
I'll take that sign
for you, Matron.
Ooh.
Go on, then.
Every girl that arrives on
our doorstep has a file...
and each file contains
a tragic history.
The girls are fortunate that
institutional safety nets
are in place.
And the island is the perfect
location for their reformation.
My purpose is to put them
back on the right path -
a righteous path, a path
to domesticity and redemption.
Fair warning - there's a real
rat problem on this island.
Oh.
One of the huts
has a leaky roof -
you might wanna double up
in one of the dry huts.
It's Hut Number 3.
- That's perfect.
I have some girls who don't
mind being out in the elements.
Daisy! Nellie!
You'll be in Hut 3.
The rest of you, just organise
amongst yourselves!
- Yes, Matron.
- Try and make a new friend!
Be like Jesus! He was always
making new friends.
Wow. The Matron has no mercy.
Ew.
- Hi!
- No!
- I'll take this one.
- No.
Be like Jesus.
Jesus isn't friends
with sex delinquents.
I think you'll find he was.
- He was?
- Mm-hm.
- Does God know that?
- Yeah, he does.
- No.
- Fine.
- Yay!
Well, come on -
clean this up.
Quick smart!
The Matron's coming!
There you go.
What's that?
A dress.
Whoa.
That's a flash dress.
I'm Nellie. That's Daisy.
You're not gonna need
that dress here.
Our institutional relocation
is the first of its kind.
Like all new ventures,
success rates could be varied.
But our mission should be
judged by the sum of its parts,
rather than the success
of individuals.
It's crooked.
Well, that's because
Patricia's taller than me.
Well, grow up!
This is the classroom. Ha.
A bit of a work in progress.
- What are you doing?
- Setting rat traps, Miss.
What will you do
once you catch them?
- Burn them.
- Drown them.
We're on an island,
Nancy. Burn them?!
We don't have
the firewood for that.
So, you guys are
cousins, right?
Well, we're not, like,
'cousins' cousins, you know?
Like, in the white sense.
I don't know what the
non-white sense of cousins is.
Like, through marriage?
- No.
We're just like cousins,
you know? Like...
just cousins.
Like family friends?
No need to be formal about it.
Cousins.
Mere! You've organised
the beds?
Yes, Miss.
Cauliflower, beetroot, cabbage.
Runner beans up the side.
Onions over there.
And the potatoes?
We only arrived
last week, Miss.
We can't survive off
your excuses, Mere.
Lemons, Miss.
They were already here.
I can see that.
I heard this really beautiful
quote the other day,
'When life gives you lemons,
make lemonade.'
- Is that from the Bible?
- Uh, I don't think so.
What a stupid quote!
To make lemonade, you
also need sugar. Right?
And if you have sugar
in your life, well, then...
your life isn't so bad.
At least not so bad
that you're complaining about
having too many lemons.
And this building?
The sick bay. The medical hut.
- Is it functional?
- We haven't been inside yet.
We don't teach the girls
first aid, in case it, uh...
it makes them feel more
capable of taking risks.
This way.
Oh.
What are you doing?
- I'm painting, Miss.
- Your attitude is appalling.
Paint the hut properly.
Good girl.
I'm a little concerned.
Yeah. So, Anne, she's
here because
she got pregnant
by her foster dad.
I think she was born a bit slow,
and then didn't get faster
as time went on.
Well, Mere's here 'cause she got
pregnant by some ugly old man
- she always talks about.
- Yeah. She says it's
like Romeo and Juliet,
'cause her parents tried
to keep them apart.
So, what happens
to most of the girls here?
Do they reform themselves?
- I don't know.
I think most just
end up cleaning and...
clean for the rest
of their lives.
Best-case scenario
is you read the Bible,
take it all in, and then your
life starts to change, I guess.
- How do you mean?
- Well, you learn how to be
dainty, good posture,
how to iron a collar.
And then you're let
into polite society,
and then men get to
take you out on dates.
Then you get to live in
a house they pay for...
and then just raise children
for the rest of your life.
- All of that in the Bible?
- Yeah. I think so.
Seems to be the main,
you know... guidebook.
My cousin came to
a place like this once.
When she came back, she
was sort of funny in the head.
Didn't really talk,
didn't really eat.
She used to be a real laugh
too - funnier than Daisy.
What did they do to her?
She never said.
Unlike most girls
at the institution,
Nellie didn't come from
a typically 'broken' family.
Everything was hand-me-down,
including the schoolbooks,
which were erased
at the end of each year
and handed to the next child.
She stated that she was
well-fed and well-loved.
Everyone in her town worked at
the meat processing
and freezing works.
When it was shut down,
the eldest children
were sent off to find work,
leaving behind their towns and
families for jobs in the cities.
This is called urban drift...
Do you wanna help
me close my suitcase?
...which doesn't quite capture
the urgency with which
they appeared to leave.
Apparently, one of Nellie's
aunts claimed to know a woman in
the city who would exchange
food and a bed for childcare.
But like a lot of plans
that Nellie was involved in,
the details of the arrangement
were not well communicated.
The woman never showed up.
Nellie and Daisy finding each
other was unsurprising.
All aboard!
Their bravado
overshadowed their abilities.
I spy with my little eye...
Within hours of
arriving in the city...
Empty your pockets.
...they were arrested for
being in possession of
15 STOLEN ITEMS.
It's very difficult to redeem
a girl like Nellie -
a girl who believes there's
nothing wrong with her.
It's like a high five.
A high foot.
You know they put us
in these cottages,
because each one's meant to
emulate the family unit?
Well, not when you're
living with a sex delinquent.
Yeah. Sad. Our family unit is
three unwed girls
in a leaky hut.
Are you leaving, Lou?
Oh, don't leave.
Nellie, grab that
hammer and nails.
I have an idea.
A bit higher!
Oh, bloody hell, Lou!
Are you nearly done?!
Ooh!
Oh!
Quick, quick.
Let's go.
Come on.
Come on. Hurry up. Quickly.
Make sure that spoon comes back.
I haven't seen you
doing any better, Brenda.
I definitely did
better than Nora -
she was messing up the crops.
I never messed up the crops.
What were you doing?
Settle down, girls.
Take your seats.
What does the popular phrase,
'The apple never falls far
from the tree,' tell us?
When studying sexual delinquency
among the young...
broken homes were found to be
the common denominator -
bad parents, bad children.
Are you calling
my mum a whore?
Are you calling
yourself a whore?
Society has been drifting away
from what we used to have -
stable homes and full churches.
- When was that?
- Before.
- Yeah, when, though?
- Just before.
Mori people find it harder
to lead Christian lives...
because we learned about
the Word of God so late.
The first time an apple is
mentioned in the Bible...
is the Book of Genesis.
Eve took a bite from the apple,
when God had told her not to.
She offered it to Adam,
who also took a bite.
And at that moment - Genesis,
Chapter 3, Verse 7 -
they knew they were naked.
- What?
- They knew they were naked.
Luckily for them,
nearby was a tree...
a fig tree, from which
they took special leaves,
and placed them over
their private parts.
Adam's leaf was slightly bigger.
Thank you, girls. That's enough.
There's many ways
to live a Christian life -
the vocation of marriage,
the priesthood, the sisterhood.
This institution is my vocation.
Many girls have gone
on to lead a dignified life.
Louisa, you went to a school
known widely for producing
decent women.
Yes.
Did they encourage you to
find suitable partners there?
I suppose. We had...
dances and...
field trips, an annual picnic.
So, you see? These girls knew
how to handle their interactions
modestly and gracefully.
Well, not all of them.
You know, Louisa,
you're a beautiful and
well-to-do young woman.
It would be a great shame
for you to waste that,
just because you couldn't
stop your flights of fancy.
The rumour of Louisa's
sexual delinquency
contained images so amoral,
they cancelled out all her other
enviably Christian features.
It was speculated that
it must have involved
at least a few married men.
Yes! Out!
The truth, however...
You're out!
...is even more depraved.
My turn. Don't be mean.
It's my turn.
Louisa is the middle child of
three - a boy on either side.
Her home was the picture
of upper-class gentility.
But secrets - even in
a house with six bedrooms,
a study and two toilets -
are hard to keep.
Yeah. That is perfect.
Well done.
You really took onboard
what I said about that.
After years of failing
mathematics,
Louisa's parents intervened
and provided her with a tutor,
unwittingly inviting a perverse
danger into their home.
I'm so sorry, sir.
Her father, a respected
and successful doctor,
wisely used a medically
certified approach -
isolate, treat...
and contain the spread.
- Baa!
- What was that?
Did that sound good?
Did it sound like a lamb?
Kind of.
So, uh...
welcome.
We're gonna try and kill all the
rats on the island in one go.
How are we gonna kill them?
I've got them hooked on this
stuff over the past few months.
Ooh, I love that stuff.
Yeah. Today it's
laced with poison.
So, we just go around
peanut buttering the island,
and then pick up any dead or
dying rats and just go home?
OK, yeah, that's a pretty
straightforward rat massacre.
Yep.
Any questions?
How long does it take
for rats to die?
- Pretty quick, I reckon.
- I have a question.
Is there any peanut butter
that isn't poisoned?
Well, not on me.
I... didn't want any mix-ups.
Are you married?
No.
Do you believe in God?
Sure. I was thinking more
questions about the rats.
Oh, OK. So, you reckon
rats live in heaven too,
or just pets and stuff?
OK, no more questions.
About anything.
Oh, ah. Stay where
I can see you.
Oi, Nellie! Lou!
Look!
That's creepy.
Looks like someone's
living here.
- No way.
- Hey!
Don't go in there.
It's a bit of a sacred place.
Why is that?
A fella died in there.
He was all alone.
Come on.
OK. Carry on. Has anyone
done over there yet?
Good morning, Ma'am.
Good morning, Ma'am.
Can I be of assistance?
Can I be of assistance?
I'm having a lovely time.
I'm having a lovely time.
By placing one hand
delicately over the other,
you draw attention away
from how stubby they are.
When sitting for longer periods,
we place one ankle under the
other and tuck it to the side,
like so.
Does she think you guys
don't speak English?
Something to add, Miss?
Oh, no, just that
I'm having a lovely time.
Don't be disrespectful.
Sit up straight. All of you!
What did Mrs MacMillan just
tell you to do with your feet?
Thank you.
Thank you, Mrs MacMillan.
Do you think your girls are
ready to learn how to elegantly
pick something up off the floor?
- Oh. No.
- Then we shall continue with
more useful social etiquette.
One sugar or two? With me.
One sugar or two?
Lovely. One more.
One sugar or two?
Topics of interest
should not be admitted
to polite conversation, as it
may lead to a discussion...
Little is known of Daisy's
parents - where they are now,
or if they're even alive.
She inherited no qualities
of note from them,
although she repeatedly
asserted her lovely nose
was inheritance enough.
Hmm.
Daisy!
Open up!
By the time Daisy was 11...
Daisy!
...she had been in the care of
seven different foster families.
By the time she was 12,
she'd tried to escape
from all of them.
Get inside!
In such instances,
girls are left without any
sense of right or wrong,
and we must start
entirely from scratch.
All aboard!
On the day she was arrested,
Daisy ate four cream buns.
The risk for girls like Daisy,
whose idea of freedom
is a cream bun,
is that it makes them
impressionable,
and easily influenced.
Who...
started...
the dancing?
Who started it?!
Hands!
Hand!
Hand!
Thank you so much for
making the trip to see us.
I suppose you've read
the Mazengarb Report already?
Oh. Yes. In full.
It's my favourite book -
other than the Bible.
Findings show
that the nation's
become more promiscuous.
The availability of...
contraceptives,
films, comics,
American stuff -
we're fighting a war,
and we're not winning.
Unfortunately,
our studies show that
stupid women love to procreate.
There are orgies in the
Hutt Valley, for God's sake.
We find that young women,
in particular,
are enticing the men
to have sex.
Well... I do often
catch them.
The other day, I caught
them doing rock 'n' roll.
Look,
in some instances...
it's best not to think
of the girls
as the wives and mothers
of tomorrow.
It may well be beyond them.
My approach may seem...
controversial, but it's
surprisingly humane.
Perhaps you are the brave guide
who could lead this institution
through something of a...
trial run?
Difficult choices must
be made with love.
But no progress is made
without brave pioneers
to lead the way.
We must be agents of virtue...
in a world of vice -
serving the girls,
but ultimately serving society.
What's the cleanest
a thing can be?
Squeaky?
No.
Um...
as a whistle?
No.
Sparkling?
Yes.
Yes, sparkling.
This has to be the most
sparkling room you've
ever seen.
Sparklingness...
is Godliness.
Scrub.
Daisy.
Read from the top
of page 94, please.
I said read, Daisy!
Read!
Right. 94, please.
- Here you are.
- Thank you.
- ...makes me sick,
makes my heart beat 246,
not because I'm dirty,
not because I'm clean,
not because I kissed
a boy behind a magazine.
Girls, boys, having fun.
Here comes a lady with
a nickel up her bum.
Close your eyes
and count to 10.
If you muck it up,
you're not my friend.
One, two, three, four, five,
six, seven, eight, nine, 10.
We didn't muck it up,
so we're still good friends.
Funny we got
a whole class today
telling us not to
talk about money.
Everyone knows that.
- Yeah.
Unless you're trying to talk
your way out of getting robbed,
'You got none?
Well, I got none too.
'Thank you for asking.'
Pass me a hammer, oi.
I think there's
something under here.
Whoa! Treasure!
Whoo-hoo!
Do you think this
is still good to drink?
Yeah. That stuff's
like Vegemite -
It has infinite shelf life.
Ew.
Oh, yeah.
Would you like a cigarette?
Oh. Thank you, my dear.
'A new arrival
has joined the island.
'His name is Mr Chan.
'He's a Chinese man and a leper.
'We were so alarmed
by his arrival
'that a protest was
quickly organised.
'He was moved swiftly
out of the compound,
'and has fashioned himself
a makeshift shack,
'which we've come to call
The Leper's Lean-to.'
That's not a very original name.
- Hey, we found that shack.
It says, 'Every
inch of that beach
'must be tainted
with leprosy by now.'
That's not how leprosy works.
My father's a doctor.
- I thought he owned the marina.
- No, no, no.
That's just a hobby.
My mistake.
So, what happened to him?
It says he lasted the
worst of the winter,
and then died in the spring.
'When his body was removed,
'they found no sign of leprosy;
'they believed
that he eventually
'died of pneumonia
and heart failure.
'His name was Kim Chan.'
That's so sad.
I wish he had another Chinese
leper to stay with him.
No, that's dumb, Dais.
You should wish he'd escaped.
Yeah. Yeah. Well, that too.
If I was left alone
on this island,
do you think anyone
would ever find me?
But you're not alone,
'cause we're here.
Yeah, we wouldn't
let that happen.
Come along. This way!
Oh my God. That's the Matron.
Oh shit.
She's gonna smell it.
- Oh, yeah.
- Stop it.
- It's for your own good, Mere.
Wait. I think she's
going to another hut.
Come on. This way.
Nellie?
Yeah.
- Where... Where are we going?
- Come on!
- No! No. Please. No!
- We're nearly there, Mere.
- Mere!
- No!
Miss, please! Please!
I'm sorry! I'm sorry!
Miss, please! No!
You wanna come
sleep on the floor?
- Yeah.
- OK. Jump down.
Come on.
Wait. So, did your parents
name you Lou
before or after you
became loose?
About the same time.
Funny fellas.
So, you reckon you're
named you after toilets?
No!
- Daisy!
- Daisy, no.
Louisa.
- That's what the Matron says.
- Yeah, the Matron.
Louisa!
You're a well-to-do young...
Mm.
Mm.
Mm.
Doctor, you need to
come back in.
Quickly. Probably normal.
There's something going wrong.
Nellie?
It's the Matron.
Did she see you?
No, I don't think so.
Stop looking at the boys!
Unload the boat. Get on with it!
Thank you.
No lingering. Come on!
Hurry up!
- Here you go, love.
- Where's Mere, Miss?
- She had to go to the mainland.
- Why?
- Oh,
just a little health issue.
She'll be fine.
- Will she come back?
- No more questions.
Unload the boat!
Come on. Hurry up.
- Any more?
- Chop chop.
Any more to come off?
Oh, good God!
Mary!
They're throwing eggs!
This will not go unpunished!
One minute you're telling
me they're not getting fed,
the next, they're throwing
their dinner at the windows!
The bloody idiots.
For God's sake!
I'm surprised they
can eat solid food.
Well, your dad's
a doctor, right?
Yeah.
Well, then, why
don't you just say...
that they're performing
medical experiments...
on us.
I'm hoping that you
could investigate?
Yeah, that's good.
Do you think it'll work?
Yeah.
It wasn't very nice
to send that letter.
I'm sorry.
It wasn't personal.
But perhaps you have a
response to the concerns raised.
No. I haven't got
anything to say...
because I haven't
done anything wrong.
Did those girls
put you up to this?
- They don't know I sent it.
- Really?
She was sick. He was a doctor.
I don't understand you, Louisa.
Your problems are so frivolous.
They're so easy to hide.
And yet you're so disinterested
in salvation.
You can just pretend!
Get out.
Out!
In my youth, I felt
a strong moral compass.
Our Mother Superior said
I displayed a fervour for
education and discipline...
a candidate for correcting
wayward strays.
I became living proof
that anyone can rise
from their circumstances,
in spite of their heritage.
I remember very little
of my childhood.
But I know it was a blessing.
The sisters who raised me guided
me to God's infinite mercy.
His mercy was compelling
to me as a child,
and continues to compel me
throughout life's struggles.
She put nails down my shirt!
She put nails down my shirt!
She's crazy!
She's trying to kill me!
- No killing!
- I'll kill you first!
- I'll kill you!
- No, I'll kill you first!
- I said, no killing!
- You two are crazy!
- Get her!
- You're crazy!
- Easy, easy.
- Take the tools off them!
The hammers,
the nails, the saws.
You girls, you're
gonna hurt each other.
Oh. Too stupid for school!
Too uncivilised to be maids!
Too barbaric for woodwork!
Oh! What am I meant
to do with you all?
A few years ago, you would
have been lobotomised!
Oh, but now,
you're fed and clothed...
Come on. Back to work.
Get back to it, eh?
...and all we ask in return
is a bit of bloody weeding!
Anne, are you all right?
Do you want a hand with
your shells? We're fast.
Yeah.
Daisy!
It's about time you
start to speed up, Lou.
It's for your own good.
- Oh, hello.
- It's some new arrivals!
Kia ora! Welcome.
Nau mai. Haere mai.
Kia Ora, whnau!
Ng mihi nui.
Argh!
- English!
Welcome to the island,
where reform and
relaxation go hand in hand.
Jump right in!
Take a bucket of chores,
and be saved by the Lord!
- That's my assistant.
- Oh, right.
- Nice to meet you.
- If you don't mind,
I'll start with an interview
and a series of tests.
- Lovely. Anne!
- What?
- Will you join us?
- No.
- Come on, Anne.
- I didn't do anything; I swear.
- Come on.
- Oh.
- Come on.
- I was doing what I was told.
- Anne, is it?
- Yes. No!
- Why don't you start preparing?
I'll be with you soon.
- Yes, Matron.
- No need to fuss, Anne.
- No! Help me
- Come on, Anne.
- Oh! Don't be so dramatic.
- It's all right.
Argh! No!
Life's easier if
you don't resist.
No!
No!
Are they killing her?
Yeah, but why would you
make something so clean,
if you were just gonna go and-
- Nellie.
Stop.
They'll probably
kill you first.
Nellie...
if we had escaped
from the last place...
where would we have gone?
Yeah. But we didn't escape,
Dais - we're here.
But if we did...
would you have
taken me with you?
Cos I don't know anyone,
and I don't have a bus pass.
And I don't know how to read
or read signs, and...
I don't know anything, Nell.
Yeah, of course, Daisy.
- Really?
- Yeah.
You can always come with me.
Yeah, if we'd made it,
I would have taken you home.
You promise?
- Cross my heart, hope to die.
- Stick a needle in your eye?
Yeah.
I'm too dainty
to be on my own.
Hey, you know what my koro
used to say about little things,
Daisy?
- What?
Ahakoa he iti he pounamu.
What does that mean?
It means, 'Though
it is small, it is precious.'
Like you and your
weak little wrists.
- Did you guys hear her?
- Yeah, we all could.
Do you think she's OK?
Well, I went in to give her
tea and water this morning.
But she was unconscious.
Do you know what
they did, exactly?
I don't know.
Do you think the same thing's
gonna happen to us?
I don't know.
No.
We have to burn
down that building.
What?
For whoever's next.
Before they go in.
We can't burn down
the building.
- Why not?
- It's illegal.
Oh my God, Lou. We're
at a school for delinquents.
What they're doing
in there is worse.
No.
What bit are you
disagreeing with?
- I'm not.
- You know what?
We need a fire starter.
Yes. In a jar.
Light it on fire,
throw it through the window.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
Guys, this isn't funny.
It's not a joke, Louisa. We
warned you - we was dangerous.
I just think that we need
to exhaust all other options.
Like what?
What if we get caught?
What are you scared of?
Just exchange part of
the marina for your freedom.
No, why do you care so much
about that stupid building?
It's not your home - you've
never been inside it before,
probably never will.
You know if we get caught,
they'll put us all in there.
Yeah, and you can
just call your daddy.
You know you won't be
put in there.
So I get it -
you don't wanna put yourself
on the line for us.
Forget it.
Me and Daisy will do it.
Hey!
You won't tell anyone.
The communal nature
of the island means
the girls can influence
each other...
for better...
or worse.
Breaking points can be looked
upon in many ways.
While disappointing initially,
they can be the beginning
of change for all.
When girls distance themselves
from the irredeemable...
they eventually see the light.
And what are the fruits
of the Holy Spirit?
Daisy?
- Sorry?
The fruits of the Holy Spirit?
Um...
...grapes?
- Stand at the back!
- Oh, what?!
Is it a apple, Miss?
My Bible has whole
sections ripped out.
I never found out what happened
in the end to Jesus.
I think we all
know that he died.
He dies?
Yeah. And then
he comes back to life.
Stand at the back, Daisy!
Faster!
Face the wall.
On one leg.
Anyone else want to
have a crack at the
fruits of the Holy Spirit?
Uh...
love, joy,
peace, forbearance,
kindness, goodness.
- Go on.
- Faithfulness...
gentleness and self-control.
Ah! Louisa!
I knew you'd come around.
It continues, 'Those who
belong to Christ Jesus...
'have crucified the flesh
with its passions...
'and desires.'
And would you say that you have
conquered the desires
of the flesh, Louisa?
- Yes, I would say that I have.
I've learned that when
we tend to the garden,
we encourage
nourishing things to grow...
and we remove the weeds.
And the same is
true of ourselves.
Very good, Louisa.
Do you know what else we learn?
We harvest what we sow.
Do you reckon she
believes all that stuff?
Doesn't matter if you believe
it - you just have to know it.
Either way...
she's a good liar.
Room inspection!
Up!
Open.
- Yes, ma'am.
Where are these from?
Sewing class.
- Why are they here?
- A little arts and crafts?
These are a weapon.
Do you want to keep this up?
Impressing your shrinking
audience
with your snide little comments?
So you're impressed?
You'll go from
here to prison...
and you'll still think you're
better than everyone.
Better than being like you.
Kneel.
Kneel.
There.
Arts and crafts.
Hey, Nellie. Look at this.
This is Matron.
I hate kids.
I hate people. I hate everyone.
Argh! Choo, choo, choo!
I'm dead! I'm dying.
Nellie!
Oi!
Today's lesson is about
how the Lord blesses those
who come to play in his garden.
Now listen, girls.
It's very important.
How the Lord owned...
and blessed his favours...
to the conversion
of the heathen.
Heathens.
Daisy, read Colossians 1:25.
Daisy? Please.
Colossians, Anahera.
- Yes.
- I have a question.
What?
Knowledge,
education, the Bible -
these are all keys to
a civilised society, right?
Being a moral participant
in society is the key,
yes.
Anahera?
Is it the new part
or the old part, Miss?
New Testament, Anahera!
Why aren't you giving
us that knowledge?
If you don't teach
Daisy to read,
she's never gonna
be able to read.
Excuse me?
We're all here
becoming servants.
That's, like, bottom rung.
How the hell is Daisy
gonna go to heaven,
if she can't read and will
never become civilised?
What, instead of helping her,
you just put her in the yard
and you tell her to weed?
OK, that's stupid.
We're not becoming civilised
on this bloody island;
we're just not
becoming pregnant.
Perhaps that's the best
you can hope for.
Fuck you!
Should I take her
and tub her, Miss?
Thank you, Louisa.
Tracey, help her.
Thank you, girls.
You've been given
too long a leash.
Anyone else?
Colossians 1...
25!
- You ready?
- Yeah.
- Where is it?
- Here.
Nellie, come on!
- Oi! Fire!
- Fire!
Is everyone out?
Is everyone out of the huts?
If we find that one of you
is responsible for this...
so help me, God...
you'll hang.
Nellie!
Daisy!
If you two are
sleeping through this,
I swear to God, I'll have
your guts for garters!
Matron!
- Matron!
- What?
Louisa's gone. I think all
three of them have gone!
We should sail
to the peninsula.
It's the closest beach.
The peninsula? But I don't
know anyone from the peninsula.
It's OK. You'll know us.
It's a raft and paddles.
We've built everything
else here;
we're gonna build this.
- Yeah.
OK.
Daisy, steal whatever you
can find from Barry's toolbox.
Let's look for anything
we can use to build the raft.
Oh, and we're gonna need
the big tins from the kitchen
to help us float.
We have to sneak into the
schoolroom and pinch whatever
tools we can find.
No! Help me!
We have to burn
down that building.
What?
What are you scared of?
You know you won't
get put in there.
So I get it - you don't wanna
put yourself on the line for us.
Hey.
I've thought about it, and I'm
gonna help you with the fire,
whatever the plan is.
Are you sure?
Yeah.
I hate that fucking place.
Let's burn it to the ground.
- What is this?
- It's our flag!
To signal we've
returned victorious.
Hey, Lou. You've gotta
impress the Matron.
You've gotta sit at the front,
say your prayers,
speak in tongues, get promoted.
We've gotta get
the kerosene somehow.
Would you say you conquered
the desires of the
flesh, Lousia?
I've learned that when we tend
to the garden, we encourage
nourishing things to grow...
and we remove the weeds.
And the same is
true of ourselves.
Louisa!
I knew you'd come around.
So don't forget,
we need the kerosene...
...from the kitchens.
I've got it.
I can't believe
The Matron fell for it.
It's cos she likes
her, eh, Cuz?
- Did you just call me Cuz?
- We're cuz, Cuz.
- Oh.
- Are you sure you're gonna be
OK in Tracey's hut?
- Of course.
- I'm gonna miss you.
- Oh. I'm gonna miss you too.
Guys. We...
are going...
to burn it down!
Yes!
Room inspection!
We're not becoming civilised
on this bloody island;
we're just not
becoming pregnant!
Perhaps that's the best
you can hope for.
Fuck you!
Fill it up.
Are you stupid, Nellie?
How are you gonna
set fire to the building,
if you're locked up inside it?
Tonight.
- Lou, you're late!
- Oh my God. Oh my God.
I know. Come on. Come on!
Lou, come on!
Girls, run!
Go! Go!
Daisy, go get the paddles.
Here.
Uh, OK, girls, uh,
we'll get you to...
split off into pairs and...
and go look for them.
Inside and out.
Uh, you two, go that way.
You two can go that way.
All right. You two,
come with me.
We'll have a look in the forest.
You others, have a look down
by the schoolhouse.
Stay together, girls! Come on!
OK. Get up. Go! Go!
Get on!
You have to stop
paddling, Daisy!
Get on! Get on!
Faster, Lou. Come on!
Faster! Faster!
Well, you come upstairs,
but not to talk.
You stay a little while, then
you do a little walk on home.
I hear you downstairs
smoking cigarettes.
I hear you talking shit,
cos you ain't got nothing
to talk about at all.
So you took me to the party
and you got me alone,
said you wanna feel good,
and you feel like
you're gonna explode.
Well, I don't care,
can't pay attention.
And I don't give a damn
about your intentions at all.
Whoo-hoo!
Ooh-ooh-ooh.
Well, pass me the whiskey,
pass me the gin -
pass me whatever
there's drink left in.
Well, I don't care if
it's 7 in the morning.
For all I care, it could
be the second coming.
Well, you say you
can't take it any more.
You can't live like this,
it's a really big deal.
Well, I don't care,
can't pay attention.
And I don't give a fuck
about your intentions at all.
Ooh-ooh-ooh.
Ow!
We're all right.
We're always all right.
We're all right.
We're always all right.
We're all right.
We're always
all right, all right,
we'll be all right.
When the British first
colonised New Zealand,
we were offered a great new
hope from the motherland.
Missionaries of the Lord
redeemed the uncivilised.
Today, our institutions
and educational facilities
are now the front line for
saving the uncultivated mind.
Nellie! Come along!
You too, Daisy!
Cooking for families.
Our mission is carried forth
by three central principles -
Christianise,
civilise,
assimilate.
These goals are the beating
heart of our school
for delinquent girls,
where troubled young women are
taught the skills for successful
re-entry into society.
My word! Look at the state
of these beds, girls!
You know what Jesus
says about beds, right?
Who can tell me what Jesus
says about unmade beds?
- Me, Matron. I can.
- Yes.
- Or, even better,
we could make you tell her.
You!
Why are you laughing?
Huh?
Can you tell us?
Quiet!
Settle.
Peggy.
Let's go.
She's awake! She's awake!
- Daisy! Daisy! Daisy!
- Nellie, is it time to escape?
Hurry!
Just wait! Go!
- Nellie!
- The Matron.
Shh.
- Did your fulla come?
- He's outside with his truck.
Hey.
Now.
Nellie! Here!
OK. Run! Run! Go!
- Come on! Come on!
- Hey!
Freddie! I can't believe
you came for us!
Yeah!
- Come on!
- Quick, quick, quick!
Yeah!
- Yes!
- Go, yes, yes! Yes!
You've got it!
You've got it!
OK. Yes. Daisy! Come!
Is it meant to be easier
than this to climb?
- You!
- Inner strength,
Daisy. Come on!
I can't do it!
- Nellie! Daisy! Get inside!
- Argh! Argh!
- What are you waiting for? Go!
The doctors say
the girl's legs will heal.
Yes... more or less.
But the baby is a problem.
She fell pregnant
under your supervision.
Well.
You'll be relieved to know
we have a solution which
eliminates the possibility
of such lapses -
theirs...
and yours.
This island
has a long history
of accommodating
dubious characters -
prisoners of war, lepers,
explorers en route
to Antarctica.
And?
The facilities are
not currently in use.
You and your delinquents
will use it.
An island?
The dining hall is here,
has a kitchen.
The old school house is here,
and then there are the huts -
here, here and here.
It's good to remind ourselves
if the island can
contain leprosy,
it can probably manage
a few girls on heat.
Oh. Right.
You know, if it were up to me,
I'd keep them there
until the menopause -
avoid any accidental
burdens on society.
We're preparing
them for marriage.
That is the main incentive we
offer. It keeps them motivated.
These fullas are liars.
It was way harder
than they made it look.
Do you have a suitcase?
No, just my sack.
I think the boat's
coming, Miss.
Pick up your bags.
Girls, get up.
Move towards the end
of the boat calmly.
Let's make
Jesus smile today.
- Come on.
- No. A bit faster. Come on.
Stop dragging your feet.
Walk with purpose.
Well, you know. We've got all
sorts - waifs, strays, vagrants,
whores,
sex delinquents.
That's technically different
from a whore.
Queers, too. Poofs, you know?
That's a new one.
But we can't know
everything they did,
prior to their arrival
at the institution.
What about this one?
Yeah. We heard she
a sex delinquent.
Well, she's
an exceptional case.
Sorry.
I'm Barry...
the caretaker.
I see you got my instructions.
Yeah.
- This way, then?
- Yeah.
I'll take that sign
for you, Matron.
Ooh.
Go on, then.
Every girl that arrives on
our doorstep has a file...
and each file contains
a tragic history.
The girls are fortunate that
institutional safety nets
are in place.
And the island is the perfect
location for their reformation.
My purpose is to put them
back on the right path -
a righteous path, a path
to domesticity and redemption.
Fair warning - there's a real
rat problem on this island.
Oh.
One of the huts
has a leaky roof -
you might wanna double up
in one of the dry huts.
It's Hut Number 3.
- That's perfect.
I have some girls who don't
mind being out in the elements.
Daisy! Nellie!
You'll be in Hut 3.
The rest of you, just organise
amongst yourselves!
- Yes, Matron.
- Try and make a new friend!
Be like Jesus! He was always
making new friends.
Wow. The Matron has no mercy.
Ew.
- Hi!
- No!
- I'll take this one.
- No.
Be like Jesus.
Jesus isn't friends
with sex delinquents.
I think you'll find he was.
- He was?
- Mm-hm.
- Does God know that?
- Yeah, he does.
- No.
- Fine.
- Yay!
Well, come on -
clean this up.
Quick smart!
The Matron's coming!
There you go.
What's that?
A dress.
Whoa.
That's a flash dress.
I'm Nellie. That's Daisy.
You're not gonna need
that dress here.
Our institutional relocation
is the first of its kind.
Like all new ventures,
success rates could be varied.
But our mission should be
judged by the sum of its parts,
rather than the success
of individuals.
It's crooked.
Well, that's because
Patricia's taller than me.
Well, grow up!
This is the classroom. Ha.
A bit of a work in progress.
- What are you doing?
- Setting rat traps, Miss.
What will you do
once you catch them?
- Burn them.
- Drown them.
We're on an island,
Nancy. Burn them?!
We don't have
the firewood for that.
So, you guys are
cousins, right?
Well, we're not, like,
'cousins' cousins, you know?
Like, in the white sense.
I don't know what the
non-white sense of cousins is.
Like, through marriage?
- No.
We're just like cousins,
you know? Like...
just cousins.
Like family friends?
No need to be formal about it.
Cousins.
Mere! You've organised
the beds?
Yes, Miss.
Cauliflower, beetroot, cabbage.
Runner beans up the side.
Onions over there.
And the potatoes?
We only arrived
last week, Miss.
We can't survive off
your excuses, Mere.
Lemons, Miss.
They were already here.
I can see that.
I heard this really beautiful
quote the other day,
'When life gives you lemons,
make lemonade.'
- Is that from the Bible?
- Uh, I don't think so.
What a stupid quote!
To make lemonade, you
also need sugar. Right?
And if you have sugar
in your life, well, then...
your life isn't so bad.
At least not so bad
that you're complaining about
having too many lemons.
And this building?
The sick bay. The medical hut.
- Is it functional?
- We haven't been inside yet.
We don't teach the girls
first aid, in case it, uh...
it makes them feel more
capable of taking risks.
This way.
Oh.
What are you doing?
- I'm painting, Miss.
- Your attitude is appalling.
Paint the hut properly.
Good girl.
I'm a little concerned.
Yeah. So, Anne, she's
here because
she got pregnant
by her foster dad.
I think she was born a bit slow,
and then didn't get faster
as time went on.
Well, Mere's here 'cause she got
pregnant by some ugly old man
- she always talks about.
- Yeah. She says it's
like Romeo and Juliet,
'cause her parents tried
to keep them apart.
So, what happens
to most of the girls here?
Do they reform themselves?
- I don't know.
I think most just
end up cleaning and...
clean for the rest
of their lives.
Best-case scenario
is you read the Bible,
take it all in, and then your
life starts to change, I guess.
- How do you mean?
- Well, you learn how to be
dainty, good posture,
how to iron a collar.
And then you're let
into polite society,
and then men get to
take you out on dates.
Then you get to live in
a house they pay for...
and then just raise children
for the rest of your life.
- All of that in the Bible?
- Yeah. I think so.
Seems to be the main,
you know... guidebook.
My cousin came to
a place like this once.
When she came back, she
was sort of funny in the head.
Didn't really talk,
didn't really eat.
She used to be a real laugh
too - funnier than Daisy.
What did they do to her?
She never said.
Unlike most girls
at the institution,
Nellie didn't come from
a typically 'broken' family.
Everything was hand-me-down,
including the schoolbooks,
which were erased
at the end of each year
and handed to the next child.
She stated that she was
well-fed and well-loved.
Everyone in her town worked at
the meat processing
and freezing works.
When it was shut down,
the eldest children
were sent off to find work,
leaving behind their towns and
families for jobs in the cities.
This is called urban drift...
Do you wanna help
me close my suitcase?
...which doesn't quite capture
the urgency with which
they appeared to leave.
Apparently, one of Nellie's
aunts claimed to know a woman in
the city who would exchange
food and a bed for childcare.
But like a lot of plans
that Nellie was involved in,
the details of the arrangement
were not well communicated.
The woman never showed up.
Nellie and Daisy finding each
other was unsurprising.
All aboard!
Their bravado
overshadowed their abilities.
I spy with my little eye...
Within hours of
arriving in the city...
Empty your pockets.
...they were arrested for
being in possession of
15 STOLEN ITEMS.
It's very difficult to redeem
a girl like Nellie -
a girl who believes there's
nothing wrong with her.
It's like a high five.
A high foot.
You know they put us
in these cottages,
because each one's meant to
emulate the family unit?
Well, not when you're
living with a sex delinquent.
Yeah. Sad. Our family unit is
three unwed girls
in a leaky hut.
Are you leaving, Lou?
Oh, don't leave.
Nellie, grab that
hammer and nails.
I have an idea.
A bit higher!
Oh, bloody hell, Lou!
Are you nearly done?!
Ooh!
Oh!
Quick, quick.
Let's go.
Come on.
Come on. Hurry up. Quickly.
Make sure that spoon comes back.
I haven't seen you
doing any better, Brenda.
I definitely did
better than Nora -
she was messing up the crops.
I never messed up the crops.
What were you doing?
Settle down, girls.
Take your seats.
What does the popular phrase,
'The apple never falls far
from the tree,' tell us?
When studying sexual delinquency
among the young...
broken homes were found to be
the common denominator -
bad parents, bad children.
Are you calling
my mum a whore?
Are you calling
yourself a whore?
Society has been drifting away
from what we used to have -
stable homes and full churches.
- When was that?
- Before.
- Yeah, when, though?
- Just before.
Mori people find it harder
to lead Christian lives...
because we learned about
the Word of God so late.
The first time an apple is
mentioned in the Bible...
is the Book of Genesis.
Eve took a bite from the apple,
when God had told her not to.
She offered it to Adam,
who also took a bite.
And at that moment - Genesis,
Chapter 3, Verse 7 -
they knew they were naked.
- What?
- They knew they were naked.
Luckily for them,
nearby was a tree...
a fig tree, from which
they took special leaves,
and placed them over
their private parts.
Adam's leaf was slightly bigger.
Thank you, girls. That's enough.
There's many ways
to live a Christian life -
the vocation of marriage,
the priesthood, the sisterhood.
This institution is my vocation.
Many girls have gone
on to lead a dignified life.
Louisa, you went to a school
known widely for producing
decent women.
Yes.
Did they encourage you to
find suitable partners there?
I suppose. We had...
dances and...
field trips, an annual picnic.
So, you see? These girls knew
how to handle their interactions
modestly and gracefully.
Well, not all of them.
You know, Louisa,
you're a beautiful and
well-to-do young woman.
It would be a great shame
for you to waste that,
just because you couldn't
stop your flights of fancy.
The rumour of Louisa's
sexual delinquency
contained images so amoral,
they cancelled out all her other
enviably Christian features.
It was speculated that
it must have involved
at least a few married men.
Yes! Out!
The truth, however...
You're out!
...is even more depraved.
My turn. Don't be mean.
It's my turn.
Louisa is the middle child of
three - a boy on either side.
Her home was the picture
of upper-class gentility.
But secrets - even in
a house with six bedrooms,
a study and two toilets -
are hard to keep.
Yeah. That is perfect.
Well done.
You really took onboard
what I said about that.
After years of failing
mathematics,
Louisa's parents intervened
and provided her with a tutor,
unwittingly inviting a perverse
danger into their home.
I'm so sorry, sir.
Her father, a respected
and successful doctor,
wisely used a medically
certified approach -
isolate, treat...
and contain the spread.
- Baa!
- What was that?
Did that sound good?
Did it sound like a lamb?
Kind of.
So, uh...
welcome.
We're gonna try and kill all the
rats on the island in one go.
How are we gonna kill them?
I've got them hooked on this
stuff over the past few months.
Ooh, I love that stuff.
Yeah. Today it's
laced with poison.
So, we just go around
peanut buttering the island,
and then pick up any dead or
dying rats and just go home?
OK, yeah, that's a pretty
straightforward rat massacre.
Yep.
Any questions?
How long does it take
for rats to die?
- Pretty quick, I reckon.
- I have a question.
Is there any peanut butter
that isn't poisoned?
Well, not on me.
I... didn't want any mix-ups.
Are you married?
No.
Do you believe in God?
Sure. I was thinking more
questions about the rats.
Oh, OK. So, you reckon
rats live in heaven too,
or just pets and stuff?
OK, no more questions.
About anything.
Oh, ah. Stay where
I can see you.
Oi, Nellie! Lou!
Look!
That's creepy.
Looks like someone's
living here.
- No way.
- Hey!
Don't go in there.
It's a bit of a sacred place.
Why is that?
A fella died in there.
He was all alone.
Come on.
OK. Carry on. Has anyone
done over there yet?
Good morning, Ma'am.
Good morning, Ma'am.
Can I be of assistance?
Can I be of assistance?
I'm having a lovely time.
I'm having a lovely time.
By placing one hand
delicately over the other,
you draw attention away
from how stubby they are.
When sitting for longer periods,
we place one ankle under the
other and tuck it to the side,
like so.
Does she think you guys
don't speak English?
Something to add, Miss?
Oh, no, just that
I'm having a lovely time.
Don't be disrespectful.
Sit up straight. All of you!
What did Mrs MacMillan just
tell you to do with your feet?
Thank you.
Thank you, Mrs MacMillan.
Do you think your girls are
ready to learn how to elegantly
pick something up off the floor?
- Oh. No.
- Then we shall continue with
more useful social etiquette.
One sugar or two? With me.
One sugar or two?
Lovely. One more.
One sugar or two?
Topics of interest
should not be admitted
to polite conversation, as it
may lead to a discussion...
Little is known of Daisy's
parents - where they are now,
or if they're even alive.
She inherited no qualities
of note from them,
although she repeatedly
asserted her lovely nose
was inheritance enough.
Hmm.
Daisy!
Open up!
By the time Daisy was 11...
Daisy!
...she had been in the care of
seven different foster families.
By the time she was 12,
she'd tried to escape
from all of them.
Get inside!
In such instances,
girls are left without any
sense of right or wrong,
and we must start
entirely from scratch.
All aboard!
On the day she was arrested,
Daisy ate four cream buns.
The risk for girls like Daisy,
whose idea of freedom
is a cream bun,
is that it makes them
impressionable,
and easily influenced.
Who...
started...
the dancing?
Who started it?!
Hands!
Hand!
Hand!
Thank you so much for
making the trip to see us.
I suppose you've read
the Mazengarb Report already?
Oh. Yes. In full.
It's my favourite book -
other than the Bible.
Findings show
that the nation's
become more promiscuous.
The availability of...
contraceptives,
films, comics,
American stuff -
we're fighting a war,
and we're not winning.
Unfortunately,
our studies show that
stupid women love to procreate.
There are orgies in the
Hutt Valley, for God's sake.
We find that young women,
in particular,
are enticing the men
to have sex.
Well... I do often
catch them.
The other day, I caught
them doing rock 'n' roll.
Look,
in some instances...
it's best not to think
of the girls
as the wives and mothers
of tomorrow.
It may well be beyond them.
My approach may seem...
controversial, but it's
surprisingly humane.
Perhaps you are the brave guide
who could lead this institution
through something of a...
trial run?
Difficult choices must
be made with love.
But no progress is made
without brave pioneers
to lead the way.
We must be agents of virtue...
in a world of vice -
serving the girls,
but ultimately serving society.
What's the cleanest
a thing can be?
Squeaky?
No.
Um...
as a whistle?
No.
Sparkling?
Yes.
Yes, sparkling.
This has to be the most
sparkling room you've
ever seen.
Sparklingness...
is Godliness.
Scrub.
Daisy.
Read from the top
of page 94, please.
I said read, Daisy!
Read!
Right. 94, please.
- Here you are.
- Thank you.
- ...makes me sick,
makes my heart beat 246,
not because I'm dirty,
not because I'm clean,
not because I kissed
a boy behind a magazine.
Girls, boys, having fun.
Here comes a lady with
a nickel up her bum.
Close your eyes
and count to 10.
If you muck it up,
you're not my friend.
One, two, three, four, five,
six, seven, eight, nine, 10.
We didn't muck it up,
so we're still good friends.
Funny we got
a whole class today
telling us not to
talk about money.
Everyone knows that.
- Yeah.
Unless you're trying to talk
your way out of getting robbed,
'You got none?
Well, I got none too.
'Thank you for asking.'
Pass me a hammer, oi.
I think there's
something under here.
Whoa! Treasure!
Whoo-hoo!
Do you think this
is still good to drink?
Yeah. That stuff's
like Vegemite -
It has infinite shelf life.
Ew.
Oh, yeah.
Would you like a cigarette?
Oh. Thank you, my dear.
'A new arrival
has joined the island.
'His name is Mr Chan.
'He's a Chinese man and a leper.
'We were so alarmed
by his arrival
'that a protest was
quickly organised.
'He was moved swiftly
out of the compound,
'and has fashioned himself
a makeshift shack,
'which we've come to call
The Leper's Lean-to.'
That's not a very original name.
- Hey, we found that shack.
It says, 'Every
inch of that beach
'must be tainted
with leprosy by now.'
That's not how leprosy works.
My father's a doctor.
- I thought he owned the marina.
- No, no, no.
That's just a hobby.
My mistake.
So, what happened to him?
It says he lasted the
worst of the winter,
and then died in the spring.
'When his body was removed,
'they found no sign of leprosy;
'they believed
that he eventually
'died of pneumonia
and heart failure.
'His name was Kim Chan.'
That's so sad.
I wish he had another Chinese
leper to stay with him.
No, that's dumb, Dais.
You should wish he'd escaped.
Yeah. Yeah. Well, that too.
If I was left alone
on this island,
do you think anyone
would ever find me?
But you're not alone,
'cause we're here.
Yeah, we wouldn't
let that happen.
Come along. This way!
Oh my God. That's the Matron.
Oh shit.
She's gonna smell it.
- Oh, yeah.
- Stop it.
- It's for your own good, Mere.
Wait. I think she's
going to another hut.
Come on. This way.
Nellie?
Yeah.
- Where... Where are we going?
- Come on!
- No! No. Please. No!
- We're nearly there, Mere.
- Mere!
- No!
Miss, please! Please!
I'm sorry! I'm sorry!
Miss, please! No!
You wanna come
sleep on the floor?
- Yeah.
- OK. Jump down.
Come on.
Wait. So, did your parents
name you Lou
before or after you
became loose?
About the same time.
Funny fellas.
So, you reckon you're
named you after toilets?
No!
- Daisy!
- Daisy, no.
Louisa.
- That's what the Matron says.
- Yeah, the Matron.
Louisa!
You're a well-to-do young...
Mm.
Mm.
Mm.
Doctor, you need to
come back in.
Quickly. Probably normal.
There's something going wrong.
Nellie?
It's the Matron.
Did she see you?
No, I don't think so.
Stop looking at the boys!
Unload the boat. Get on with it!
Thank you.
No lingering. Come on!
Hurry up!
- Here you go, love.
- Where's Mere, Miss?
- She had to go to the mainland.
- Why?
- Oh,
just a little health issue.
She'll be fine.
- Will she come back?
- No more questions.
Unload the boat!
Come on. Hurry up.
- Any more?
- Chop chop.
Any more to come off?
Oh, good God!
Mary!
They're throwing eggs!
This will not go unpunished!
One minute you're telling
me they're not getting fed,
the next, they're throwing
their dinner at the windows!
The bloody idiots.
For God's sake!
I'm surprised they
can eat solid food.
Well, your dad's
a doctor, right?
Yeah.
Well, then, why
don't you just say...
that they're performing
medical experiments...
on us.
I'm hoping that you
could investigate?
Yeah, that's good.
Do you think it'll work?
Yeah.
It wasn't very nice
to send that letter.
I'm sorry.
It wasn't personal.
But perhaps you have a
response to the concerns raised.
No. I haven't got
anything to say...
because I haven't
done anything wrong.
Did those girls
put you up to this?
- They don't know I sent it.
- Really?
She was sick. He was a doctor.
I don't understand you, Louisa.
Your problems are so frivolous.
They're so easy to hide.
And yet you're so disinterested
in salvation.
You can just pretend!
Get out.
Out!
In my youth, I felt
a strong moral compass.
Our Mother Superior said
I displayed a fervour for
education and discipline...
a candidate for correcting
wayward strays.
I became living proof
that anyone can rise
from their circumstances,
in spite of their heritage.
I remember very little
of my childhood.
But I know it was a blessing.
The sisters who raised me guided
me to God's infinite mercy.
His mercy was compelling
to me as a child,
and continues to compel me
throughout life's struggles.
She put nails down my shirt!
She put nails down my shirt!
She's crazy!
She's trying to kill me!
- No killing!
- I'll kill you first!
- I'll kill you!
- No, I'll kill you first!
- I said, no killing!
- You two are crazy!
- Get her!
- You're crazy!
- Easy, easy.
- Take the tools off them!
The hammers,
the nails, the saws.
You girls, you're
gonna hurt each other.
Oh. Too stupid for school!
Too uncivilised to be maids!
Too barbaric for woodwork!
Oh! What am I meant
to do with you all?
A few years ago, you would
have been lobotomised!
Oh, but now,
you're fed and clothed...
Come on. Back to work.
Get back to it, eh?
...and all we ask in return
is a bit of bloody weeding!
Anne, are you all right?
Do you want a hand with
your shells? We're fast.
Yeah.
Daisy!
It's about time you
start to speed up, Lou.
It's for your own good.
- Oh, hello.
- It's some new arrivals!
Kia ora! Welcome.
Nau mai. Haere mai.
Kia Ora, whnau!
Ng mihi nui.
Argh!
- English!
Welcome to the island,
where reform and
relaxation go hand in hand.
Jump right in!
Take a bucket of chores,
and be saved by the Lord!
- That's my assistant.
- Oh, right.
- Nice to meet you.
- If you don't mind,
I'll start with an interview
and a series of tests.
- Lovely. Anne!
- What?
- Will you join us?
- No.
- Come on, Anne.
- I didn't do anything; I swear.
- Come on.
- Oh.
- Come on.
- I was doing what I was told.
- Anne, is it?
- Yes. No!
- Why don't you start preparing?
I'll be with you soon.
- Yes, Matron.
- No need to fuss, Anne.
- No! Help me
- Come on, Anne.
- Oh! Don't be so dramatic.
- It's all right.
Argh! No!
Life's easier if
you don't resist.
No!
No!
Are they killing her?
Yeah, but why would you
make something so clean,
if you were just gonna go and-
- Nellie.
Stop.
They'll probably
kill you first.
Nellie...
if we had escaped
from the last place...
where would we have gone?
Yeah. But we didn't escape,
Dais - we're here.
But if we did...
would you have
taken me with you?
Cos I don't know anyone,
and I don't have a bus pass.
And I don't know how to read
or read signs, and...
I don't know anything, Nell.
Yeah, of course, Daisy.
- Really?
- Yeah.
You can always come with me.
Yeah, if we'd made it,
I would have taken you home.
You promise?
- Cross my heart, hope to die.
- Stick a needle in your eye?
Yeah.
I'm too dainty
to be on my own.
Hey, you know what my koro
used to say about little things,
Daisy?
- What?
Ahakoa he iti he pounamu.
What does that mean?
It means, 'Though
it is small, it is precious.'
Like you and your
weak little wrists.
- Did you guys hear her?
- Yeah, we all could.
Do you think she's OK?
Well, I went in to give her
tea and water this morning.
But she was unconscious.
Do you know what
they did, exactly?
I don't know.
Do you think the same thing's
gonna happen to us?
I don't know.
No.
We have to burn
down that building.
What?
For whoever's next.
Before they go in.
We can't burn down
the building.
- Why not?
- It's illegal.
Oh my God, Lou. We're
at a school for delinquents.
What they're doing
in there is worse.
No.
What bit are you
disagreeing with?
- I'm not.
- You know what?
We need a fire starter.
Yes. In a jar.
Light it on fire,
throw it through the window.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
Guys, this isn't funny.
It's not a joke, Louisa. We
warned you - we was dangerous.
I just think that we need
to exhaust all other options.
Like what?
What if we get caught?
What are you scared of?
Just exchange part of
the marina for your freedom.
No, why do you care so much
about that stupid building?
It's not your home - you've
never been inside it before,
probably never will.
You know if we get caught,
they'll put us all in there.
Yeah, and you can
just call your daddy.
You know you won't be
put in there.
So I get it -
you don't wanna put yourself
on the line for us.
Forget it.
Me and Daisy will do it.
Hey!
You won't tell anyone.
The communal nature
of the island means
the girls can influence
each other...
for better...
or worse.
Breaking points can be looked
upon in many ways.
While disappointing initially,
they can be the beginning
of change for all.
When girls distance themselves
from the irredeemable...
they eventually see the light.
And what are the fruits
of the Holy Spirit?
Daisy?
- Sorry?
The fruits of the Holy Spirit?
Um...
...grapes?
- Stand at the back!
- Oh, what?!
Is it a apple, Miss?
My Bible has whole
sections ripped out.
I never found out what happened
in the end to Jesus.
I think we all
know that he died.
He dies?
Yeah. And then
he comes back to life.
Stand at the back, Daisy!
Faster!
Face the wall.
On one leg.
Anyone else want to
have a crack at the
fruits of the Holy Spirit?
Uh...
love, joy,
peace, forbearance,
kindness, goodness.
- Go on.
- Faithfulness...
gentleness and self-control.
Ah! Louisa!
I knew you'd come around.
It continues, 'Those who
belong to Christ Jesus...
'have crucified the flesh
with its passions...
'and desires.'
And would you say that you have
conquered the desires
of the flesh, Louisa?
- Yes, I would say that I have.
I've learned that when
we tend to the garden,
we encourage
nourishing things to grow...
and we remove the weeds.
And the same is
true of ourselves.
Very good, Louisa.
Do you know what else we learn?
We harvest what we sow.
Do you reckon she
believes all that stuff?
Doesn't matter if you believe
it - you just have to know it.
Either way...
she's a good liar.
Room inspection!
Up!
Open.
- Yes, ma'am.
Where are these from?
Sewing class.
- Why are they here?
- A little arts and crafts?
These are a weapon.
Do you want to keep this up?
Impressing your shrinking
audience
with your snide little comments?
So you're impressed?
You'll go from
here to prison...
and you'll still think you're
better than everyone.
Better than being like you.
Kneel.
Kneel.
There.
Arts and crafts.
Hey, Nellie. Look at this.
This is Matron.
I hate kids.
I hate people. I hate everyone.
Argh! Choo, choo, choo!
I'm dead! I'm dying.
Nellie!
Oi!
Today's lesson is about
how the Lord blesses those
who come to play in his garden.
Now listen, girls.
It's very important.
How the Lord owned...
and blessed his favours...
to the conversion
of the heathen.
Heathens.
Daisy, read Colossians 1:25.
Daisy? Please.
Colossians, Anahera.
- Yes.
- I have a question.
What?
Knowledge,
education, the Bible -
these are all keys to
a civilised society, right?
Being a moral participant
in society is the key,
yes.
Anahera?
Is it the new part
or the old part, Miss?
New Testament, Anahera!
Why aren't you giving
us that knowledge?
If you don't teach
Daisy to read,
she's never gonna
be able to read.
Excuse me?
We're all here
becoming servants.
That's, like, bottom rung.
How the hell is Daisy
gonna go to heaven,
if she can't read and will
never become civilised?
What, instead of helping her,
you just put her in the yard
and you tell her to weed?
OK, that's stupid.
We're not becoming civilised
on this bloody island;
we're just not
becoming pregnant.
Perhaps that's the best
you can hope for.
Fuck you!
Should I take her
and tub her, Miss?
Thank you, Louisa.
Tracey, help her.
Thank you, girls.
You've been given
too long a leash.
Anyone else?
Colossians 1...
25!
- You ready?
- Yeah.
- Where is it?
- Here.
Nellie, come on!
- Oi! Fire!
- Fire!
Is everyone out?
Is everyone out of the huts?
If we find that one of you
is responsible for this...
so help me, God...
you'll hang.
Nellie!
Daisy!
If you two are
sleeping through this,
I swear to God, I'll have
your guts for garters!
Matron!
- Matron!
- What?
Louisa's gone. I think all
three of them have gone!
We should sail
to the peninsula.
It's the closest beach.
The peninsula? But I don't
know anyone from the peninsula.
It's OK. You'll know us.
It's a raft and paddles.
We've built everything
else here;
we're gonna build this.
- Yeah.
OK.
Daisy, steal whatever you
can find from Barry's toolbox.
Let's look for anything
we can use to build the raft.
Oh, and we're gonna need
the big tins from the kitchen
to help us float.
We have to sneak into the
schoolroom and pinch whatever
tools we can find.
No! Help me!
We have to burn
down that building.
What?
What are you scared of?
You know you won't
get put in there.
So I get it - you don't wanna
put yourself on the line for us.
Hey.
I've thought about it, and I'm
gonna help you with the fire,
whatever the plan is.
Are you sure?
Yeah.
I hate that fucking place.
Let's burn it to the ground.
- What is this?
- It's our flag!
To signal we've
returned victorious.
Hey, Lou. You've gotta
impress the Matron.
You've gotta sit at the front,
say your prayers,
speak in tongues, get promoted.
We've gotta get
the kerosene somehow.
Would you say you conquered
the desires of the
flesh, Lousia?
I've learned that when we tend
to the garden, we encourage
nourishing things to grow...
and we remove the weeds.
And the same is
true of ourselves.
Louisa!
I knew you'd come around.
So don't forget,
we need the kerosene...
...from the kitchens.
I've got it.
I can't believe
The Matron fell for it.
It's cos she likes
her, eh, Cuz?
- Did you just call me Cuz?
- We're cuz, Cuz.
- Oh.
- Are you sure you're gonna be
OK in Tracey's hut?
- Of course.
- I'm gonna miss you.
- Oh. I'm gonna miss you too.
Guys. We...
are going...
to burn it down!
Yes!
Room inspection!
We're not becoming civilised
on this bloody island;
we're just not
becoming pregnant!
Perhaps that's the best
you can hope for.
Fuck you!
Fill it up.
Are you stupid, Nellie?
How are you gonna
set fire to the building,
if you're locked up inside it?
Tonight.
- Lou, you're late!
- Oh my God. Oh my God.
I know. Come on. Come on!
Lou, come on!
Girls, run!
Go! Go!
Daisy, go get the paddles.
Here.
Uh, OK, girls, uh,
we'll get you to...
split off into pairs and...
and go look for them.
Inside and out.
Uh, you two, go that way.
You two can go that way.
All right. You two,
come with me.
We'll have a look in the forest.
You others, have a look down
by the schoolhouse.
Stay together, girls! Come on!
OK. Get up. Go! Go!
Get on!
You have to stop
paddling, Daisy!
Get on! Get on!
Faster, Lou. Come on!
Faster! Faster!
Well, you come upstairs,
but not to talk.
You stay a little while, then
you do a little walk on home.
I hear you downstairs
smoking cigarettes.
I hear you talking shit,
cos you ain't got nothing
to talk about at all.
So you took me to the party
and you got me alone,
said you wanna feel good,
and you feel like
you're gonna explode.
Well, I don't care,
can't pay attention.
And I don't give a damn
about your intentions at all.
Whoo-hoo!
Ooh-ooh-ooh.
Well, pass me the whiskey,
pass me the gin -
pass me whatever
there's drink left in.
Well, I don't care if
it's 7 in the morning.
For all I care, it could
be the second coming.
Well, you say you
can't take it any more.
You can't live like this,
it's a really big deal.
Well, I don't care,
can't pay attention.
And I don't give a fuck
about your intentions at all.
Ooh-ooh-ooh.
Ow!
We're all right.
We're always all right.
We're all right.
We're always all right.
We're all right.
We're always
all right, all right,
we'll be all right.