Kawa’s father wants him to return home from Auckland to assume a leadership role in their Maori community. But how can he be a leader when his own family is in crisis? He has moved out of the house he shares with his wife and kids, but he hasn’t been able to tell them why: he is gay and has been living a steamy double life. Featuring New Zealand’s natural beauty, KAWA’s story of liberation and family responsibility is based on the semi-autobiographical novel Nights in the Gardens of Spain, by Witi Ihimaera, author of The Whale Rider.