To Love a Māori

To Love a Māori was the last feature from legendary filmmaking couple Rudall and Ramai Hayward (Rewi's Last Stand). The romance explores racist attitudes in the early 1970s to relationships between Māori and Pākehā — and the challenges experienced by young Māori moving to the city. Tama (played by trainee teacher Val Irwin) heads to Auckland from the East Coast, with his brother Riki. Tama meets Penny (Marie Searell), a Pakehā dance student, and romance blooms after they dance. Penny's rich parents are aghast. Made on a low budget, To Love a Māori was the first New Zealand feature shot in colour.

Note: This title is still to be digitally preserved by Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision.

..a remarkably moving picture of race relationships in New Zealand . . . At virtually every turn overstatement works against the film . . . but the film is of crucial importance to New Zealanders.

– Writer Paul Smith in The NZ Herald, 20 January 1972

Key Cast & Crew

Toby Curtis

As: Tama's father

Marie Searell

As: Penny

Val Irwin

As: Tama

Rudall Hayward

Director, Producer, Writer

Ramai Hayward

Producer, Writer, As: Mrs Hemi (Tama's aunt)

Desmond Locke

As: Penny's father