The Haka Party Incident

In 2021 Katie Wolfe's play The Haka Party Incident opened at Auckland's ASB Waterfront Theatre to immediate acclaim, followed by a successful national tour. Wolfe returned to the topic when she made this documentary on the events of 1 May 1979. That day, a group of Pākehā Auckland University engineering students commenced their capping week 'tradition'; a drunken, mock haka. Māori and Pasifika activist group He Taua challenged the students, events escalated and violence broke out. In the first of two excerpts, activist Hilda Halkyard-Harawira describes the motives behind her group's actions.

The last New Zealand war took place in 1979. It lasted three minutes.

– Promotional wording for this documentary

Key Cast & Crew

Carly Turner

Editor

Nīkau Balme

Kaitito Haka

Tim Balme

Producer

Phoebe Shum

Archive Producer

Kingsley Spargo

Composer

Katie Wolfe

Director, Producer