Bleeding Black

Bleeding Black is a black comedy about a New Zealand boy called Sam, who is told in his first rugby match, age five, 'stop playing, or harden up'. He chooses to harden up, a decision that he keeps making throughout his life as he progresses through school, work, and watching professional rugby. Rugby is intrinsically linked with New Zealand's identity, at home and abroad. Bleeding Black explores the darker side of that identity, where hyper-masculinity bleeds into everyday life, affecting everybody in ways that are often ignored or overlooked.