What Really Happened - Waitangi

This docudrama follows an imaginary news reporter who travels back in time to cover the days leading up to the Treaty of Waitangi’s signing on 6 February 1840. Dropping the usual solemnity surrounding Aotearoa’s founding document, it uses humour and asides to camera to evoke the chaos and motives behind the treaty. Written by Gavin Strawhan, with input from novelist Witi Ihimaera, What Really Happened screened on TVNZ for Waitangi Day in 2011. Its nominations at the Aotearoa TV Awards included Best Drama, director (Peter Burger) and actor Jarod Rawiri (who played Hōne Heke). 

What we've really tried to do is to get the humour, and to get people beyond the fact that this is a kind of document set in concrete, and get them to see the real people involved.

– Story consultant Witi Ihimaera, in a TV One Breakfast interview, 4 February 2011

Key Cast & Crew

Gavin Strawhan

Co-Producer, Writer

Peter Burger

Director

Jarod Rawiri

As: Hōne Heke

Robin Scholes

Producer

Antonio Te Maioha

As: Marupo

Edwin Wright

As: Bishop Pompallier