Te Pahū

With the resurgence of taonga pūoro, one musical instrument remains conspicuously absent from Māori music —pahū (drum). In this documentary Te Pahū, composer Hirini Melbourne (ONZM) and ethnologist Te Warena Taua trace the history of pahū, from musical accompaniment to being the manawa (heart) of communication and communities. Musicians and carvers bring to life the lost beat of pahū by creating a version using modern techniques. Pioneering Māori filmmaker Merata Mita (Patu!) directed Te Pahū, while Rawiri Paratene (Whale Rider) co-wrote and produced it.

The hardest thing with carving anything like this is having the right tools, and conventional tools don't really...You can see I've sort of tried to get in there with a chainsaw and chisel, to make that deeper and get a larger chamber to resonate. I’m going to have to have made some special tools.

– Carver Bernard Makoare on his first attempt at carving a pahū

Key Cast & Crew

Caterina De Nave

Executive Producer

Merata Mita

Director, Writer

Hone Kaa

Narrator

Richard Rautjoki

Editor

Hirini Melbourne

Musical Director, Subject

Rawiri Paratene

Writer, Producer