NZ On Air 30th Birthday - Tagata Pasifika

At a time when Pasifika people were rarely seen on-screen, Tagata Pasifika was a bastion of Pacific stories. For Oscar Kightley, it was "more than just a TV programme" —  it meant on-screen representation for his Pasifika community. In this video celebrating NZ On Air's 30th birthday, Kightley also recalls how impressed his mum was with presenter Susana Hukui's "impeccable" dress sense. Veteran Tagata Pasifika producer Stephen Stehlin talks about working on one of Aotearoa's longest-running series, and the importance of presenting stories about our all-important "front yard".

Tagata Pasifika was more than just a television programme for us — it was representation, it was seeing ourselves on-screen...

– Oscar Kightley

Key Cast & Crew

Oscar Kightley

Subject

Stephen Stehlin

Subject

Zara Potts

Director, Interviewer

Kathryn Quirk

Producer

Stephanie Hopkins

Producer

Grant Finlay

Sound Recordist