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.
The spirit of a person killed in a motorway accident runs through forest and beaches on its journey to Te Rerenga Wairua (Cape Rēinga). En route it meets tourist buses and other spirits, before reaching the gnarly pohutukawa and making the leap towards Hawaiki-Nui.
Sisters Tia and Ina are far from home. Tia is focused on her work, while the free-spirited Ina just wants to dance.
An Inuit child wanders away from his village, fascinated by a wild bird. His father follow his trail, determined to find him before he gets lost on the ice floe...
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.
Symbolized in the bird’s flight, a group of Māori, Pākehā and Colombian creatives explore life’s journey, the longing to return to the nest, and the life-giving connection with our ancestors.
Set in 1870's Taranaki, Aotearoa. The Land Wars in Aotearoa are over. A Taranaki hapū is planning a feast with Pākehā former soldiers to mark the start of more peaceful times. Not all is what it seems.
Opens Looks is a short film told in English and Cook Islands Māori. A story of love, redemption and basketball.
A modern day take on the classic bard tale - with Silver as a movie producer.
When a mischievous cloud-cat chases a shooting star across the sky, his overprotective sister follows close behind — determined to keep him safe, even as the chase takes them further from home and closer to the unknown.
Tai Whetuki delves into Māori and Pacific cultural practices pertaining to death and mourning. Haunting and evocative images, accompanied by an elemental soundscape take us on a journey through the intensity and spectacle of communal mourning, in a reflection on grief and the transition of the spirit.
A companion to Yumi yet, O’Rourke and Kildea’s Ileksen (derived from the English 'election’) documents Papua New Guinea’s first general election in 1977. The film records a broad cross-section of candidates who, without an extended media network at their disposal, rely on relentless campaigning, ingenuity and personal charisma to attract votes. Emphasising the divide between coastal people and highlanders, Ileksen looks at the election campaign, election day and the political manouvering that goes with the formation of a government.
Kala Kunbolk follows women of Gunbalanya, Arnhem Land, in their quest to preserve their age old tradition of collecting pandanus leaves and natural colour on country to create handcrafted baskets.
A Māori elder must bear the burden of carrying the spirits of her ancestors to their sacred mountain.
Nooroa Baker goes out to collect a few ingredients to create a traditional Māori medicine that holds great Mana within and is at risk of being forgotten forever.
Hands tap, tracing patterns on rocks. These mineral-rich instruments are collaborators for a sonic performance, the landscape in Aotearoa listens.
A story of drug addiction, Māori wahine, and the power of recovery.
Apirana Ngata, Member of Parliament for Eastern Māori, was keen for the museum group to visit the East Coast to obtain records of his people of Ngāti Porou. In March 1923 the expedition, which included Te Rangi Hiroa (Sir Peter Buck), James McDonald, Elsdon Best and Johannes Andersen, set out for the Ngata homestead at Waiomatatini which was to be their base. From Waiomatatini visits were made to Whareponga, Kahukura, Rangitukia, Te Araroa, Ruatoria and other parts of the district. MacDonald recorded on film traditional skills retained in the area for making fishnets and traps, methods of netting and catching fish, weaving, hand games and music making. Also shown is the digging and storing of kūmara and cooking food in a hāngī.
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.
The New Zealand version of the British “Strictly Come Dancing” show sees celebrities perform choreographed dance routines which are judged by a panel of renowned ballroom experts and voted on by viewers.
Observational documentary following the daily lives of police officers patrolling the motorways in and around Auckland, New Zealand's largest urban area.
The three-part documentary series, compiled from over 60 hours of unseen footage, captures the warmth, camaraderie, and creative genius that defined the legacy of music's most iconic foursome. The series also includes – for the first time in its entirety – The Beatles' final performance at London's Savile Row.
In the near future, creatures from ancient Aboriginal mythology endowed with extraordinary physical traits have emerged and must coexist with humans. Known as 'Hairypeople' they battle for survival in a world that wants to exploit and destroy them. One young man – The Cleverman – struggles with his own power and the responsibility to unite this divided world, but he must first overcome a deep estrangement from his older brother.
Jackson's Wharf was a New Zealand television series created by Gavin Strawhan and Rachel Lang. Set in a fictional coastal town, the series told the story of a sibling rivalry between brothers Frank, the town cop, and Ben Jackson, a big-town lawyer. After inheriting the local pub from his recently deceased father, Ben returns to the small town with his family, with his arrival bringing its fair sheer of drama and conflict to the small township.
Amy, Britta and Cody are three young women suffering their quarter century crisis: 25 and what have they achieved? They make a vow that in one year they’ll each fulfill their ambition. Their mate-since-childhood Kevin, admires their pluck but, to be honest, since Amy, Britta and Cody are currently Tragically Poor; Tragically Unknown; and Tragically Single, he reckons it’s going to be a bit of an ask.
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.
New Zealand's best and brightest comedians showcase their current affairs prowess unpacking the hot topics of the week: politics, sports, pop culture news and international affairs to test just who’s been paying attention…
Set behind the scenes of an ordinary Kiwi secondary school, following the hopelessly and hilariously inept people in charge of educating the next generation.
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.
bro'Town is a New Zealand Television animated series. The show used a comedy based format, targeted at a young adult audience. The series is set amongst New Zealand's fast growing Pacific Islander community, and focuses on a central cast of five young boys. bro'Town is heavy with popular culture references, and is based on the performance of the local four-man group The Naked Samoans. Vale, Valea, Jeff da Māori, Sione and Mack live in the suburb of Morningside, and attend the local college, St Sylvester’s, where their principal is a Fa’afafine and the P.E. teacher is the legendary ex-All Black rugby player Michael Jones.
The Strip is the story of corporate lawyer Melissa Walker, who decides her life needs a new direction and quits her job after finding her husband in bed with his male lover. She opens a male strip club, catering especially for women...
Street Legal is a New Zealand drama focused on the lives of a small group of lawyers. A total of 52 episodes were aired and reruns currently can be seen around the world. The show was produced by Screenworks.
By day, Joe is a cleaner at the police station. But by night, he has another line of work - he's a serial killer who's been dubbed The Christchurch Carver. When another woman is murdered, the police suspect The Carver, but Joe knows it wasn't him.
Sensing Murder is a television series from New Zealand and Australia, in which psychics are asked to act as psychic detectives to help provide evidence that might be useful in solving famous unsolved murder cases in each country by communicating with the deceased victims.
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!
Worzel Gummidge Down Under, adapted from the books written by Barbara Euphan Todd and the children's television programme produced and broadcast in the United Kingdom named Worzel Gummidge, starring Jon Pertwee. The story continued in New Zealand when Aunt Sally was sold to a Museum owner.
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.
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.
Mack Leigh, faced with a philandering husband and a mountain of debt starts up an ethical brothel in small town New Zealand to provide for her family and put a new spin on sex and work.
