Set against the backdrop of Auckland's multi-cultural suburbs, Apron Strings focuses on the lives of two families rubbing shoulders across two cultures, the immigrant Indian and the Pakeha (a Maori term describing New Zealanders from Europe).  Food and love are intertwined in this touching tale of two mothers who must find the courage to confront and secrets and misunderstandings of the past, in order to find their places in an ever-changing world.  At the heart of the stories are three women whose lives and livelihoods revolve around food.  Lorna, in her old fashioned cake-shop;  Tara, in her no-frills curry house and Anita on her stylish cooking show on tv, who cooks European-style.  Anita and Tara are sisters who haven't spoken in 20 years.  Anita was disowned from her family for going against its culture and getting pregnant before marriage.  Apron Strings isn't simply a story about women," says director Sima Urale, Samoan-born actress, ". . .it's about the changing face of New Zealand . . . and the age-old conflict between traditional and modern."  "The opening credits sequence alone will rev up every sensory engine you have". -- Jane Schoettle, Toronto IFF