Pacific Mother journeys from Japan, to Hawaii, Tahiti, Rarotonga and Aotearoa to share interwoven stories of formidable women who live at one with the Pacific Ocean – freediving, spearfishing and paddling waka through its depths and playing with their children in its shallows – a stark contrast to fast-paced lifestyles of larger towns or cities. These women are all mothers who experienced diverse births in hospital, at home and by the sea, with and without medical assistance. Fukumoto also meets Māori and Japanese midwives who share indigenous traditions and rituals around birth that have been lost over recent generations, and are now gradually being reclaimed. Their stories demonstrate just how disconnected the global default maternity system is from the instinctive and cultural needs of mothers and families. They inspire a call to action on birthing rights, as well as a call for parents’ reconnection with their role as nurturers and protectors of their natural environment.
Nagasaku will play the part of Takako, a police detective and a single mother of a child who will soon turn 1 year old. She is described as “dirty” because she doesn’t mind taking bribes or leaking information if it is to her own advantage. The series depicts her battles with the child’s irresponsible father, her police colleagues who only think of protecting themselves, and the criminals in the cases she handles. Karina (27) will play a trainee detective whom Takako partners with.
Shun is a third generation descendant of a Japanese orphan left behind in China during World War II. Takeru is a lonely and reckless young man whose family was murdered when he was a child. Shun, Takeru and Kasumi, who has an equally troubled past and background, become collaborators after being hired by Kuchinawa in a police undercover operation to take on a drug cartel in a Chinatown. The drama follows their ability to work together and grow individually.
Young men and women enter the police force for different reasons. This is the story of how their ideals clash with reality.