The Insatiable Moon 2011

Arthur is a Māori man who sees himself as the second son of God and devotes his life to guiding those around him. He lives in a Ponsonby boarding house run by the foul-mouthed yet hard-working manager Bob. The other residents carry their own troubles, and many look to Arthur as a living example or beacon in their day-to-day struggles. He wanders the streets in search of the Queen of Heaven, and fate has him cross paths with a community worker, Margaret, in a busy local cafe. The moment feels almost scripted, as if the city itself is watching to see if a spark might light up the lives around him.

Back at the boarding house, the TV team of Marae Investigates is filming, giving the place a new kind of tension and attention. In the midst of the cameras and chatter, Arthur and Margaret reconnect when they attend a funeral for one of Arthur’s friends—a man who suffered from mental illness and who took his own life. Margaret attends in place of a colleague who felt overwhelmed and guilty after a moment of misunderstanding in the past, a reminder of how fragile acceptance can be. The service becomes a space where the two of them share a prayerful quiet, and after the funeral, Arthur invites Margaret back to the boarding house and introduces her to Bob and the other residents. Although Margaret is married, a quiet, complicated bond grows between them, underscored by moments of shared concern, humor, and a growing sense of responsibility to one another.

As the future of the boarding house hangs in the balance, health bureaucrats press for changes, backed by a real estate developer intent on reshaping the neighborhood. The local Vicar, Kevin, teams up with Bob and Margaret to organize a meeting that would bring together businesses and residents to discuss the house’s fate. Voices collide at the gathering, arguments flare, and no clear decision emerges. Arthur’s frustration spills over as he tries to mediate, and in a moment of raw honesty he vents at the crowd before Bob gently but firmly escorts him out of the room.

With uncertainty looming over the house, Arthur clings to hope in the form of a lottery ticket, dreaming that a windfall could fund repairs, expansion, and more support for the residents. When the ticket fails to pay out, the sense of loss and isolation hits him hard. Norm, a friend who sometimes stays at the house, notices the strain and suggests to Bob that Arthur should be taken to a mental hospital for assessment and care. The plan to seek help marks a turning point, one that cuts through the boarding house’s fragile routines and pushes everyone toward a difficult reckoning.

While Arthur is away, a dramatic offer arrives: a woman whose daughter was abused by the man who died earlier in the story steps forward with a cheque for $100,000, earmarked to secure the house’s future. It’s a lifeline that shifts the power dynamics for a moment, a reminder of how money and mercy can intersect in desperate times. Arthur receives treatment at the hospital, but his attempts to escape are thwarted, and staff administer sedatives to keep him safe. The combination of the drugs he already takes and the ACTUAL treatment creates a dangerous turning point, and resuscitation attempts fail.

The fallout is heavy. Bob wrestles with anger toward the hospital staff, while Margaret is devastated by Arthur’s death. A funeral is held to mark his passing, and the boarding house mourns together as best it can. In the film’s final scene, Arthur sits on a park bench with Norm, handing him a pie and sharing a moment of quiet connection. Norm realizes that Arthur may not be truly present in that moment, yet the exchange lingers as a poignant last image: Norman ends the scene with the pie in hand, a small, symbolic gesture of memory and loss that lingers beyond the last frame.