Synopsis

A Maori entrepreneur attempts to reclaim the exploitative art form of portrait photography by using it to help prisoners reframe their identity. But can a simple photograph really change your life? Taaniko Nordstrom is a woman, Maori, entrepreneur and activist for social change. In 2013 she and her sister, Vienna, founded an artistic venture called Soldiers Rd Portraits - a unique way of using modern media, props and photography to recreate vintage style Maori portraits. The portraits had overwhelmingly positive and profound effects on their subjects and so the women hatched a plan to see if their photographs could serve as a catalyst for social change on a much larger scale. Soldiers Rd Portraits partnered with Waikeria Prison in a groundbreaking pilot, which aims to transform prisoner cultural identity and self perception as an innovative way to approach prison recidivism rates. As well as offering free portraits to inmates, they also help them write a letter to their tupuna (ancestors), helping them connect with their past. Maori, are significantly overrepresented in the prison population and Taaniko believes that a lack of understanding around identity, heritage and tikanga (customs and values), plays a vital part in shaping these inmates. But can Taaniko really turn these prisoners' lives around with just a simple photograph?