Ake Ake Ake

In 2015, when land at Ihumātao in South Auckland was slated for housing development, six cousins teamed up to lead the SOUL (Save Our Unique Landscape) campaign to protect the ancestral Māori land from commercial development. This three-part documentary series, told retrospectively, goes behind the scenes of the protest, covering their pleas to Auckland Council, Parliament, and the United Nations for intervention. As tensions rise and the number of protesters occupying Ihumātao increases, police serve an eviction notice. Ake Ake Ake was shot across two years of the occupation by cinematographer Conan Fitzpatrick. Check out the episode guide here. 

This isn’t just happening in Ihumātao, it's happening everywhere. It’s powerful, it's sad, it’s inspiring but it's also very hopeful for what the future could bring. If we want to move forward as a nation, we need to be able to watch and understand the story of Ihumātao.

– Producer and co-director Whatanui Flavell, in an Ake Ake Ake press release, 16 July 2021

Key Cast & Crew

Peata Melbourne

Te reo Māori interviewer

Conan Fitzpatrick

Cinematographer, Field Director

Kim Webby

Co-Director

Whatanui Flavell

Co-Director, Producer

Jos Wheeler

Cinematographer, Associate Producer

Lanita Ririnui-Ryan

Commissioning Editor