The VC that never was: Bringing the heroic truth of Haane Manahi to the big screen

For decades, a shadow has hung over one of the most remarkable acts of bravery in Aotearoa New Zealand’s military history.

Based on the true story of Lance Sergeant Haane Manahi DCM of Te Arawa and Ngāti Raukawa, who received a recommendation for the Victoria Cross (VC). Backed by three Generals and a Field Marshall, it was inexplicably silenced by an unnamed British official.

The nationwide release of Sgt. Haane is set for 23 April. International award-winning writer and director Tearepa Kahi (Muru, Poi E: The Story of Our Song, Mt Zion) is bringing his story into the light.

With the release timed for ANZAC Day 2026, the film seeks to move beyond the controversy surrounding the VC downgrade and honour Manahi’s courage.

At five minutes to midnight on 19 April 1943, L. Sgt Manahi led a small group of B Company, 28th Māori Battalion soldiers up the near-vertical limestone pinnacle of Takrouna, Tunisia.

The position was defended by over 300 enemy troops.

“By morning, after severe casualties and the collapse of the chain of command, Haane Manahi took charge, repelling repeated counterattacks through hand-to-hand combat to secure this critical strategic position for the Allies,” a release for the film reads.

Manahi’s bravery was later described by Lieutenant General Sir Briam Horrocks as “the most gallant feat of arms I witnessed in the course of the war”.

Kahi’s film highlights the bond between men and those who scaled the cliffs were all cousins, descendents of Ngāti Whakaue from the settlement of Ōhinemutu in Rotorua.

L. Sgt. Haane Manahi DCM. Photo/George Bull 1943

“For years, Manahi’s name has been surrounded by the controversy of his VC downgrade. I was even tempted for a brief moment to tell an Errol Morris type documentary that explored the anatomy of his downgrade,” Kahi says.

“But after visiting his grave, I opted for something else - why explore controversy when there was an opportunity to discover what Haane Manahi actually did, as well as those who he did it alongside.”

Sgt. Haane stars Alex Tarrant (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, NCIS: Hawaiʻi) as Manahi with Niwa Whatuira (The Dark Horse, M3GAN 2.0), Vinnie Bennett (Whina, F9: The Fast Saga), Matuera Ngaropo (Whina), and Poroaki Merritt-McDonald (Muru, The Gone) as the soldiers who fought by Manahi’s side.

Their performances are woven together with the voices of direct Māori Battalion descendants, including Dr Donna Morrison, Kīngi Biddle, Colin Bennett, Raimona Inia, and Anaru Grant Jr.

Tarrant says he feels the responsibility that comes with Manahi’s portrayal.

“To play a real-life figure of this significance, particularly someone so respected within Ngāti Whakaue and the 28th Māori Battalion, has been a privilege. It’s important that these stories are told with care and integrity, and that’s exactly what Tearepa brings to this film.”

The core cast of 'Sgt. Haane'. Photo/Supplied

The film opens in modern-day Ōhinemutu on the eve of ANZAC Day 2025, before taking audiences through the events leading up to the attack on Takrouna.

Kahi’s research through archival footage and generational stories lead to the discovery of Nizar Chhoubi, the last remaining resident of Takrouna, whose family was sheltered and protected on Manahi’s orders amid the fighting.

Morrison, one of the film’s producers and a niece to Manahi, says in the film trailer, “You’d think Uncle Haane is a Marvel comic. No, no, this is reality. That sense of pride permeates through your whakapapa, salutations that you give tūpuna”

Dr Donna Morrison and Anaru Grant Jr. Photo/Supplied

In the film’s statement she adds, “I didn’t know too much about Uncle Haane in terms of the military, but I do remember him vividly as my swimming coach. That’s how I learnt how to survive. Not really how to swim, but how to survive.”

Reflecting on his visit to Ōhinemutu, Kahi says the soldiers who departed from the meeting house of Tama Te Kapua remain present in the collective memory of their people.

“We chose to tell a story about cousins who went above and beyond, that hopefully eclipses any notion of controversy, and brings a much deeper understanding to Haane Manahi and his people of Ngāti Whakaue, because this is not a story of loss and sacrifice, it is a story of connection and memory.”

SGT. HAANE hits cinemas nationwide on 23 April.