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Rangatira: Merata Mita - Making Waves
Television (Full Length Episode) – 1998
This edition of the Rangatira (‘chief’) series on Māori leaders looks at the uncompromising approach of pioneering filmmaker Merata Mita. Breaking into directing and producing was a rare enough feat for Māori, let alone a Māori woman. Making Waves takes us back to the start of Mita’s career with television programme Koha, tracking key highlights through interviews with friends, family and some of the people she mentored. They speak of her tenacity, grit and sheer determination to bring Māori political and social issues to the screen. In the second clip, church leader Hone Kaa offers his views on Mita's importance.
Ngā Tamatoa was really fortunate in that we had a whole group of really articulate, intelligent, beautiful Māori women who had tremendous kaha, and who were really the strength of Ngā Tamatoa in Auckland. And Merata was one of them ... when Merata began to get into film work it was simply a continuation of the work she had been doing as a member of Ngā Tamatoa.– Former Ngā Tamatoa leader Syd Jackson
Key Cast & Crew
See all 30 credits
Produced by
Ora Digital
Acknowledgements
Made with funding from NZ On Air
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