Writer and director, Vilsoni Hereniko
A film made in Fiji, composers: Richard Nunns and Clive Cockburn
Shamed by her village for being poor and the daughter of a convicted thief, Viki is inspired and haunted by the Warrior Woman from her island’s mythology.
Michael Heath’s film tells the story of Edith Collier, one of New Zealand’s most talented yet underrated artists (1885-1964). Told with sensitivity and respect, it includes much of her extraordinarily beautiful work. It is not only a fitting eulogy to a remarkable artist, but an affecting tale of cultural identity and rejection. Additional music by Richard Nunns.
Written and directed by Stefen Lewis
Producer/director: Kathleen Gallagher
Music: Ian McDonald, Richard Nunns and Aroha Yates-Smith
Sensitive, original music emphasised the magnificent pacific…
Peb Simmons
Sprinkled with moments of humour, this film celbrates humanity and creates a touchstone of hope for the future, it honours the intrinisic human desire to live peacfully.
Tui Motu Interislands, 2005
South Pacific Pictures
When she made Mauri, Merata Mita became the first Māori woman to direct, write and produce a feature film. Mauri (meaning life force), is loosely set around a love triangle and explores cultural tensions, identity, and a changing way of life in a dwindling East Coast town. As with Barry Barclay’s Ngati, Mauri played a key role in the bourgeoning Māori screen industry; the production team numbered 33 Māori and 20 Pākehā, including interns from Hawkes Bay wānanga. NZ art icon Ralph Hotere helmed the production design; Māori activist Eva Rickard played kuia Kara.
Top Shelf/Fritz Wagner co-production
Sarah, a teenage German, travels to New Zealand to visit her ornithologist mother, working on Great Barrier Island. She meets Mako, an angry Māori recently released from prison, and they slowly become friends. Trouble begins when they visit a cursed mountain.