Mercury Lane, Series One, Episode Seven

Television (Full Length Episode) – 2001

This episode of arts show Mercury Lane celebrates local legends of stage and screen. First, reporter Marcus Lush explores the world of children’s musical theatre with eclectic Auckland troupe The Aunties. Then there's a visit to filmmaking couple Merata Mita and Geoff Murphy at home in the Coromandel. Mita recalls her documentaries Patu and Hotere, and shares her experience being an indigenous female director; while Murphy shares insights into his Blerta and Goodbye Pork Pie days, and the couple’s collaboration on Utu. The episode ends with Elizabeth Smither reciting her poem ‘A Dentist’s View of Heaven'.

The film was meant to be a tribute to those people of of outstanding courage who came out, never having been involved in a situation like this before, but driven by principle and driven by the need to express some kind of outrage at injustice. It stands as a tribute to who we really are in this country.
– Merata Mita at an anniversary screening of her documentary Patu!