Both Worlds - Jacob Tamata

Television (Full Length Episode) – 2019

This seventh season episode of Both Worlds — a series featuring young New Zealanders — follows Auckland-based dancer and director Jacob Tamata, as he rehearses his first dance show, Bionica. Tamata expresses himself through 'voguing', a dance style made famous by the LBGT community in the United States. Tamata adds his "fierce" Māori/ Pasifika flavour, with a cast that includes Falencie Filipo and Tanu Gago from Fafswag, a group of indigenous queer creatives. The road to opening night can be rocky; Tamata shares his journey directly to camera, and draws on his Mum and friends for support.

Directing this show is getting harder, not easier. I can see it all in my head, but communicating it out there seems a more daunting task than what I imagined it to be...
– First-time director Jacob Tamata experiences the highs and lows of putting on a show