The Māori-Made Collection

The Māori-Made Collection

Cinema Politica presents six Māori-Made classics, exclusively released in Canada through a partnership with the New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC).

“How can we take that maverick yet fond friend of ours—the camera—into the Māori community and be confident it will act with dignity?” - Barry Barclay, "Our Own Image", 1990.

Aotearoa, or what is also known as New Zealand, has enjoyed ample screen time in Hollywood and mainstream cinema, but this powerful collection showcases an image of the place from and by its people.

Director and Māori intellectual Barry Barclay's stunning first film NGĀTI is part of this collection, grappling with colonialism, identity, love, trauma, history and the future. It is a celebration of Māori pride and heritage. Critically acclaimed director Taika Waititi is featured with his war film, TAMA TŪ, and short comedy TWO CARS, ONE NIGHT.

Waititi's light-hearted tale pairs well with some of the collection's dramatic features, like Merata Mita's MAURI, which is the first of its kind directed by a Māori woman. Much like Abenaki documentary-maker Alanis Obamsowin, the strength of Merata Mita's storytelling has left an indelible imprint on global Indigenous cinema.

PLEASE NOTE that this program is for private home-viewing only. For groups and institutions: Cinema Politica is the Canadian distributor of The Māori-Made Collection. Please contact [email protected] to book a screening.

All proceeds generated from the streaming of this video are split between the artists/rights holder and Cinema Politica. To find out more visit cinemapolitica.org.

The Māori-Made Collection
  • Ngāti

    Directed by Barry Barclay • 1987 • English • 93'

    A boy is dying from leukemia; a young Australian doctor visits only to discover his hidden Māori heritage; the local freezing works are threatened to close down. Centered around the community of a small fictional Māori village in the late 1940s, t...

  • Two Cars One Night

    Directed by Taika Waititi • 2004 • English • 11'

    Set in the carpark of a rural pub in Te Kaha, New Zealand, this award- winning short comedy from Taika Waititi tells the story of two brothers, Romeo and Ed, who wait in the car while their parents are inside drinking. Romeo spots Polly, an eleven...

  • Tama Tū

    Directed by Taika Waititi • 2005 • English • 18'

    Every culture has its stories and its heroes. For the Māori, the men of the 28th Battalion are legendary. Numerous books and films have been made commemorating the Māori Battalion, who fought the Axis forces in Greece, North Africa and Italy. TAMA...

  • The Pā Boys

    Directed by Himiona Grace • 2014 • 93'

    Grace’s exploration of masculinity and Māori identity in The Pa Boys is full of passion, creativity and anguish. The film follows a fictional Reggae band as it tours Aotearoa and struggles to keep cohesion and community among its members. At the heart of t...

  • Te Rua

    Directed by Barry Barclay • 1991 • English • 105'

    A hundred years after the theft of three irreplaceable tribal carvings from New Zealand, two persevering Māori activists decide it’s time for ancient grievances to be put right. Rewi Marangai, a successful lawyer and Peter Huaka, a performance po...