Once Were Warriors is New Zealan author Alan Duff's bestselling first novel, first published in 1990. It tells the story of an urban Māori family, the Hekes, and portrays the reality of domestic violence. It was the basis of a 1994 film of the same name, directed by Lee Tamahori and starring Rena Owen and Temuera Morrison. The novel was followed by two sequels, What Becomes of the Broken Hearted? in 1997 and Jake's Long Shadow in 2002.