Erua

Erua tells the story of an intriguing friendship between artist Toss Woollaston (Grant Tilly) and a young Māori boy Erua (Turei Reedy) who modelled for him each Wednesday evening in Greymouth, in the early 60s. Woollaston had seen the boy playing "like one dark bead shaken in a tray of pale ones". The image made him curious to find what Erua was like, and to try to draw "that". Tilly won a 1989 NZ Film and Television Award for his performance; he argued that it was "an awesome responsibility" to play someone who was still alive. Erua also won awards for Best Drama and Screenplay.

I'm not that sort of painter. I paint paintings [not the Harbour Bridge, like Erua's cousin]

– 'Toss' (Grant Tilly) explains to Erua (Turei Reedy) what he does

Key Cast & Crew

Grant Tilly

As: Toss Woollaston

David Copeland

Director

Ruth Franks

Producer

Rawiri Paratene

Writer

Dinah Priestley

As: Edith Woollaston

Bub Bridger

As: Mrs Brown