Set in the shadows of Mount Taranaki, there’s not much more to life than the impending threat of a volcanic eruption.

In fact, the boredom of the youth has led to a group of 14- and 15-year-olds who have already racked up a string of criminal convictions. Yes, much like the character that Julian Dennison plays in Hunt for the Wilderpeople.

The New Zealand edition of VICE took a chance and met up with a group of these kids and documented their story in Lost Boys of Taranaki:

At home, on the streets and in the wilderness, we get to know these boys as real people, not just statistics. We also observe the relationships that form between the boys and their mentors, including Taranaki native Todd Williams who served jail time himself and is determined the teens don’t make the same mistakes he did.

It might not be directed by Taika Waititi, but you can definitely see where he drew his inspiration from:

If you have a weird obsession with New Zealand, or minority groups doing their thing, pop over here to check out VICE’s Zealandia documentary series.

Otherwise, if you have yet to see Hunt for the Wilderpeople, get a taste of what you’re missing out on:

Cue speaking in a New Zealand accent for the next week.

[source:vice]