Hongi, a Maori chieftain’s teenage son, must avenge his father’s murder in order to bring peace and honour to the souls of his loved ones after his tribe is slaughtered through an act of treachery. Vastly outnumbered by a band of villains led by Wirepa, Hongi’s only hope is to pass through the feared and forbidden “Dead Lands” and forge an uneasy alliance with a mysterious warrior, a ruthless fighter who has ruled the area for years.
Inspired by actual events, MURU is the story of a local Police Sergeant ‘Taffy’ Tāwharau, who must choose between duty to his badge or his people, when the Government invoke antiterrorism powers to launch an armed raid on Taffy’s remote Urewera community, on a school day. This gripping action drama is not a re-creation, but a response to the 2007 Tūhoe raids. MURU is a Māori concept for 'forgiveness’.
In a sweeping tale that spans 1000 years and multiple generations – from the distant past to the 19th century, the present day and a strange, dystopian future – this landmark collection traces the collective histories of Indigenous peoples across Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. Diverse in perspective, content and form, traversing the terrain of grief, love and dispossession, they each bear witness to these cultures’ ongoing struggles against patriarchy, colonialism and racism.
Two young teenagers are forced to take control of their own destiny amid the chaos of a pivotal battle in New Zealand’s first land wars in 1864.
Six Māori Battalion soldiers camped in Italian ruins wait for night to fall. In the silence, the bros-in-arms distract themselves with jokes. A tohu (sign) brings them back to reality, and they gather to say a karakia before returning to the fray. Director Taika Waititi describes the soldiers as young men with "a special bond, strengthened by their character, their culture and each other.
In 1979, a group of young Māori and Pasifika activists sought to stop Pākehā students at the University of Auckland performing a parody of haka each capping week. Unfortunately, the consequences for those activists were severe – many were convicted of crimes. Director Katie Wolfe uncovers this largely forgotten event in New Zealand's history with interviews from both in this resonant and thought-provoking documentary.
A young Māori girl in the care of a conservative English couple savours her mother's weekly visitations, as a custody battle driven by racial bias will ultimately decide their fate.
After a successful raid and having captured a rival village's leader, a war party must drag their huge canoe or "Taua" through the forest to reach the sea and escape with their trophy but even in a forest of their native land water can be scarce. As the warriors, driven by their insistent chief, press towards home, two boys are tasked to protect the precious water and keep an eye on the prisoner, but need and desperation grows for all as the story drives to a climax.
Whetū Mārama is the story of Sir Hekenukumai Ngaiwi Puhipi and his significance for Māori in rekindling their wayfinding DNA, reclaiming our place as traditional star voyages on the world map.
A young girl finds comfort in play and slowly reconnects with her distant father after her mother walks out on the family.
A modern day take on the classic bard tale - with Silver as a movie producer.
Sisters Tia and Ina are far from home. Tia is focused on her work, while the free-spirited Ina just wants to dance.
A son returns home to help is mother get her affairs in order.
In this poetic short film, writer/director/songwriter Kararaina Rangihau tells a story of great significance to the Tūhoe people. Unfolding entirely in te reo Māori, the narrative follows a child (played by Te Ratauhina Tumarae) learning the origins to the waiata 'Taku Rākau E', from her great-grandmother (Menu Ripia). Flicking between the present day and 1873, the great-grandmother tells how Mihikitekapua, a blind women of Tūhoe (also played by Ripia), first sang this important waiata. Rangihau was mentored by prominent filmmaker Merata Mita, who produced the film with co-producer Chelsea Winstanley.
Roimata, a young Maori woman from the East Coast, travels to the city to meet her half-sister Girlie. Introduced to gang members, the scene is set for a major confrontation when Kevin, a young Salvation Army Officer, arrives. Part of the E Tipu Te Rea series.
In pre-colonial Aotearoa a young Māori girl witnesses the best and worst of a rapidly changing world when she encounters a dying man and his horse.
Inspired by an ancient Māori story in which nature intermingles with a child’s love, Washday depicts – with tremendous sensitivity and compassion – a grieving father and daughter coming to terms with a significant death in 1960s New Zealand.
The film told the Māori legend of Hinemoa and Tutanekai. It is the first dramatic feature film produced in New Zealand.
Hone Tuwhare, New Zealand’s most famous Māori poet, leaves a legacy to the granddaughter he left behind. To reconnect, she writes a love letter to the world. A national treasure whose poetry spanned over 40 years, the world knew Hone Tuwhare. His mokopuna Manaia never did. Now 18 years old, Manaia feels her koro calling her, triggering an emotional journey of connection in te reo Māori to prove there’s another Tuwhare who writes poetry.
This performance-based film could potentially be filed under 'Pasifika tribal fusion'. Cinematographer Waka Attewell captures the talents of percussion group Strike (including then long-haired composer Gareth Farr) and choreographer/dancer Mika.
The lives and loves of the residents of Ferndale.
In a seemingly quiet country town the newest resident, Detective Inspector Mike Shepherd, finds that murder lurks in even the most homely location.
Eleven-year-old Kevin's passion for history is put to the test when he joins a ragtag group of time-traveling thieves on a high-stakes and hilarious adventure.
Drag queen contestants compete in an elimination-style contest and strut their stuff in a variety of challenges - all to prove that they’ve got what it takes to be Down Under's next Drag Queen Superstar!
7 Days is a New Zealand comedy gameshow similar in some ways to the British program Mock the Week, hosted by Jeremy Corbett and created by The Down Low Concept. Paul Ego and Dai Henwood usually appear on each episode, along with other comedians, who form teams and answer questions about news stories from the last week.
The four Johnson brothers have inherited the powers of the Norse gods. Because the gods lived eons ago, however, time has diluted the powers. The unique ability that each brother possesses isn't very strong, and they still have the same desires and faults that mortals do. Their lives include sibling rivalry, trying to get girls, and hanging out; but they also want to be stronger, and so they embark on a quest to fulfill an ancient prophecy in hope of gaining the full strength of their abilities.
Holly's Heroes is a children's drama series produced as a collaboration between the Nine Network in Australia and TVNZ in New Zealand. It was produced as a series of 26 episodes and first screened in 2005.
When Jo Tiegan is given an oval-shaped mirror, as a gift, by the elderly owner of an antique shop, she is amazed to see another girl's image in the mirror instead of her own reflection. It is also quite obvious that the other girl can see her just as clearly. Jo (from the 1990's) and 'the girl in the mirror', Louisa Iredale (from 1919), later accidently find that they can also travel to each other's times through the mirror - following upon which discovery a relentless sequence of events is set in motion.
Mercy Peak was a New Zealand television series that ran for three seasons on local network TV One, between 2001 and 2004. The series rated well in New Zealand and won multiple awards for its cast. Though an ensemble show, Mercy Peak centres on a doctor who leaves the city to work at a hospital in the small town of Bassett. She works alongside stuffy but caring doctor William Kingsley. The series was produced by Auckland company South Pacific Pictures; a number of those who worked on the show would have a big hand in South Pacific Pictures hit Outrageous Fortune, including co-creator Rachel Lang, directors Mark Beesley and Simon Bennett, and producer John Laing.
MasterChef New Zealand is a New Zealand competitive reality television cooking show based on the original British version of Masterchef. The first episode aired on 3 February 2010 at 7:30pm on TV ONE. The show currently features judges Ray McVinnie, Josh Emett and Simon Gault. The series is similar to the format of MasterChef Australia whereby contestants compete in weekly elimination challenges, including team challenges. The major difference is the New Zealand series only has one episode per week compared to Australia's five per week. The first series was won by Brett McGregor, over runner-up Kelly Young, in the grand finale which was screened on 28 April 2010. Nadia Lim won the second series, beating runner-up Jax Hamilton in the finale. The third series was won by Chelsea Winter, who beat runner-up Ana Schwarz in the finale.
Anika's on the loose again, ready to go deep and laugh hard with well-known Kiwis. Her infectious honesty opens the hearts of all she meets - and before they know it, they've shared their deepest secrets!
Rowan, Adam, Alan and Britt (dungeon master Robert) play D&D. The four players play as their characters from Epic NPC Man, with whatever happens to the characters being deemed as canon in the Epic NPC Man universe.
The 19th-century tale of love, murder and revenge as men and women travel across the world to make their fortunes on the wild West Coast of New Zealand's South Island.
Rebecca Gibney and Charles Edwards star as two city slickers who inherit a failing vineyard in rural New Zealand.. the only problems are that neither of them has ever done a hard days' work- and they despise one another.
Follow a teenage girl and a trio of fallen gods on a perilous journey as they attempt to bring an end to a demonic reign of chaos and restore balance to their world. Inspired by the 16th Century Chinese fable “Journey to the West.”
Anthology of contemporary one-off dramas, adapted from the unique and mystical world of Maori supernatural legends. In these tales of the unexpected, set in New Zealand, ordinary characters encounter mysterious phenomena of Maori mythology.
A historical saga, it tells the story of six young men and women who, in 1914, are full of plans and dreams for the future. Cutting between life at home, Gallipoli and Egypt, this spectacular drama begins in a time of optimism and hope, on the eve of war.
An exotic dancer is frozen in 2001 and unfrozen in 2525 by two female warriors fighting against robots that have taken over the world. The three join forces and try to escape from the underground caves to which humanity has been banished.
The Tribe is a New Zealand/British post-apocalyptic fictional TV series primarily aimed at teenagers. It is set in a near-future in which all adults have been wiped out by a deadly virus, leaving the children of the world to fend for themselves. The show's focus is on an unnamed city inhabited by tribes of children and teenagers. It was primarily filmed in and around Wellington, New Zealand. The series was created by Raymond Thompson and Harry Duffin and was developed and produced by the Cloud 9 Screen Entertainment Group in conjunction with the UK's Channel 5. It has aired on over 40 broadcast networks around the world.
When office temp Jane discovers that Rose, the PA she is replacing, died under mysterious circumstances, she joins forces with Rose's best friend Linda to get justice for Rose. Along the way, they find others who need their help, victims of fraud, theft and injustice, and soon Jane, Linda - and a team of unlikely co-workers - are taking on the corporate bullies, fighting for justice and using their unique powers for good.
