A medicine woman--a giver of life--is asked to hide a secret which might protect one life but will definitely destroy another.

A story about the nature of identity: those who deny it and those who strive to protect it. Paraiti (Whirimako Black) is a medicine woman. She is the healer and midwife of her rural, tribal people; she believes in life. But new laws are in force prohibiting unlicensed healers. On a rare trip to the city, she is approached by Maraea (Rachel House), the servant of a wealthy woman, Rebecca (Antonia Prebble), who seeks her knowledge and assistance in order to hide a secret which could destroy Rebecca's position in European-settler society. If the secret is uncovered, a life may be lost, but hiding it might also have fatal consequences. So Paraiti, Maraea, and Rebecca become players in a head-on clash of beliefs, deception, and ultimate salvation.—South Pacific Pictures