A new film offers a nuanced look at the life of New Zealand rugby icon Jonah Lomu, who passed away in 2015 at 40 from a kidney disorder. The documentary, directed by Gavin Fitzgerald and Vea Mafile’o, explores the complexities behind the legendary player's public image.
Lomu, who joined the All Blacks at 19, was celebrated for his powerful and fast playing style, which made him an almost unstoppable force on the wing. However, the film reveals a life marked by emotional discord and challenges, including a complicated relationship with his Tongan heritage and the pressures of his superstar status.
The film details Lomu's early life, including a period spent in Tonga and clashes with his father over religious observance. It also touches on his three marriages, which his family reportedly disapproved of, and the impact of rugby union's shift to professionalism on his career, coinciding with his diagnosis of nephrotic syndrome.
The documentary culminates with Lomu's memorial service at Auckland's Eden Park, which is depicted as being fraught with behind-the-scenes tensions and disputes over funerary rituals.