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Kōkā
Film – 2025
KŌKĀ is not only the first movie by writer/director Kath Akuhata-Brown, it's the first feature to use the original dialect of East Cape iwi Ngāti Porou. Akuhata-Brown's story focusses on the relationship that develops between kuia Hamo (Hinetu Dell) and the delinquent Jo (Darneen Christian), a troubled and violent young woman who is estranged from te ao Māori (the Maori world). Hamo and Jo undertake a spiritual journey together in an old Ford Falcon, heading towards Hamo's whenua (land). In this trailer, Jo sparks trouble in a pub, and Hamo introduces Jo to the power and beauty of her ancestral knowledge.
Mauria mai o kuia, o kaumatua me o mokopuna kia kite i a KŌKĀ.– Actor Hinetu Dell encourages old and young people alike to watch KŌKĀ, The Gisborne Herald, 1 February 2025
Key Cast & Crew
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Acknowledgements
Made with funding from Te Tumu Whakata Taonga/NZ Film Commission, Te Māngai Pāho and Kiwibank
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