Leo Koziol reflects on the first ever Wairoa Maori Film Festival
originally appeared in Mana magazine, July/August 2005

Over two years of preparation and planning came together over five days this Matariki Queen’s Birthday weekend, with the inaugural Wairoa Maori Film Festival. A new energy came to Wairoa, as film-makers and film fans alike converged on the town, including a dozen international indigenous film makers who winged their way to Wairoa thanks to National Geographic.

The delegation was led by Mark Bauman, a former war reporter who was based in Russia and now runs the National Geographic world indigenous film festival, “All Roads.” “All Roads” is held each year at National Geographic headquarters in Washington D.C. and the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. Mark was accompanied by Sarah Laskin, a documentary producer at National Geographic who also helps run “All Roads.”

The delegation of international guests comprised Kaliko Palmeiro from Hawaii, Simon James from Canada, Vilsoni Hereniko from Rotuma, Roberto Olivares from Mexico and Chris Kientz, Sterlijn Harjo and Vincent Blackhawk-Aamodt from the USA.. All are indigenous film-makers, “dreamkeepers” of their people’s heritage spanning back generations and millenia. The indigenous film-makers presented their films at a showcase at Wairoa’s Gaiety Cinema on Saturday, with Vilsoni Hereniko’s feature film “The Land Has Eyes” played on Sunday.

Accompanying the delegation was Merata Mita, Cliff Curtis and Bird Runningwater. Merata is Aotearoa’s leading Maori woman film-maker, a producer and director of numerous films including the feature “Mauri” and the documentary “Patu!” Merata presented a number of her films at the festival to appreciative audiences.

Bird Runningwater runs the Native American programme at the Sundance Film Festival, a project created by Robert Redford in the 1980s that is now a film festival rivalling Cannes for its importance and profile. Showcasing independent film makers, Sundance is located in Utah and it provides an opportunity for film makers to “get away from it all,” out of the vortex that is Hollywood. The Wairoa festival is modelled in part on Sundance, located away from our busy production hubs of Wellington and Auckland.

The locals got excited when Cliff Curtis rolled into town, his star qualities coming to the fore in a “down-home” East Coast style. Cliff was bombarded with requests for autographs and photographs, and was wonderfully gracious throughout. Both Cliff and Merata are patrons of the film festival, and were also judges of the festival prizes (ably assisted by local Tama Te Rangi film enthusiast Tania Cotter). Other Maori movie stars in town included Wi Kuki Kaa and Julian Arahanga, both of whom made appearances when their movies played.

The first welcome for the international guests took place on Wednesday in my home village of Nuhaka, at Kahungunu marae. The following day, the official powhiri took place at Takitimu Marae in Wairoa. The international guests and Minister of Maori Affairs were accompanied on to Takitimu Marae by Canon Mita Ngatai and Reverend Pani Ngatai. Speakers at Takitimu included John Bayly, Bishop of Waiapu John Bluck, Wi Kuku Kaa and Mayor Bob Harvey of Waitakere City, also representing the New Zealand Film Commission. The combined Maori action group that brought the delegation on at Takitimu was awesome. Special guest at both powhiri was Ramai Hayward, star of the festival and recipient of an inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Opening Night Gala on Thursday included the NZ premiere of “Tama Tu.” Also played was Oscar nominee “Two Cars, One Night,” and the films of teen cancer victim Cameron Duncan, who sadly died two years ago. Cameron’s mother, Sharon Duncan, made a heartfelt introduction to her son’s films, and thanked the festival for acknowledging Cameron as a Maori film-maker. Cameron’s sister also attended the festival to see her brother’s films presented up on the big screen, the first works officially played on the programme of the first ever Wairoa Maori Film Festival – a conscious choice made by the festival programmers.

The opening night featured a special screening of “Broken Barrier” ,filmed locally at Mahia and Nuhaka in the 1950s. The film was preceded with a performance of the film’s original theme song, “E Nga Iwi O Nga Hau E Wha”, sung by the Nuhaka Maori Choir, as was originally the case in the 1950s. A highlight of opening night was the buzz during intermission, cameras interviewing stars and locals alike about the excitement that had arrived to the East Coast. “Cannes arriving to the East Coast,” is how festival Chairperson Pauline Tangiora described the evening.

Friday was Ramai Hayward’s night, with the screening of a double feature of her works, “To Love A Maori” (1972) and “Rewi’s Last Stand” (1940). Accompanied by her caregiver Vapi Kupenga, 88-year old Ramai Hayward was presented with her Lifetime Achievement Award by local Nuhaka actor Val Irwin, star of “To Love A Maori.” Ramai entered the Gaiety Cinema in a tres-chic 1920s style outfit to a standing ovation, with nary a dry eye in the house (including mine).

Over the duration of the festival, a near complete retrospective of Ramai Hayward’s works was presented. It was an honour for the festival organisers and Wairoa to have Ramai present. Ramai was the first Maori scriptwriter, the first Maori female camerawoman, and one of New Zealand’s earliest onscreen stars. A beauty to rival the maidens of 1940s Hollywood, Ramai Hayward also owned her own photography studio and travelled to China in the 1950s to make documentaries with her movie-making husband Rudall Hayward.

Saturday was the big awards night. Much spontaneity was on display, with kapa haka performances by local group Te Rerenga Kotuku, prize recipients, and a group of students from Wellington High School. Keynote speaker was Hon. Parekura Horomia, who announced an exciting initiative for youth scholarships in Maori film-making, and presented one of the awards. Other award presenters at the “Maori Oscars” were Ramai Hayward, Merata Mita, Cliff Curtis, Mayor Les Probert and Sharon Duncan. Wairoa’s big night out was capped off with live entertainment from Mika and his Savages, who did glam rock onstage to the sold out cabaret crowd’s amazement.

Sunday and Monday were days to settle in for serious movie watching. Features onscreen included many classics such as “Once Were Warriors,” “Ngati,” “Whale Rider” and “The Maori Merchant of Venice.” The festival rounded out on closing night with a surprise live performance from Rongomaiwahine violin diva Elena – who accompanied herself live on screen – and a free screening of “Jubilee.”

The poroporoaki for our international guests was followed by a night out at Marumaru pub (biggest steaks on the East Coast!) and a day trip to Whangara, the village just past Gisborne where Whale Rider was filmed. This proved to be another highlight for our international guests, with kaumatua John Taumaunu providing a personalised tour. We were told of the children of Tangaroa, the fourth of whom was Paikea, a sperm whale. I was impressed with the environmental ethic of the people of Whangara, having established a marine reserve nearby, and replanting their hill in Rata and Pohutukawa as part of Project Crimson. I discovered the people of Whangara have deep respect for the whales, never eatingthe flesh of whales, and always burying the bones of stranded whales.

As I sat at Gisborne airport that afternoon bidding the last of our guests a sad farewell, I read in the Gisborne Herald that a juvenile sperm whale had been spotted in the mouth of the Nuhaka river, apparently returning safely to sea. I mused on whether perhaps this was just a coincidence, or perhaps it was in fact a reflection of the important visit of indigenous dreamkeepers from around the world, and the unique energy that had sprung forth in Wairoa that weekend. Whatever the case, I will never know, but I could not think of a more fitting end to the inaugural Wairoa Maori Film Festival.

- Thanks go to all of the sponsors of the Wairoa Maori Film Festival; without their assistance, the festival would not have been possible. These include: National Geographic, NZ Film Archive, Gaiety Cinema, Te Waka Toi, Ministry of Economic Development, NZ Film Commission, Wairoa District Council and Te Puni Kokiri. Special thanks go to all of the film makers, both those who attended, and those who made their works available for the many screenings. Special thanks to all of the people of Wairoa, including the many volunteers who gave generously of their time.

Leo Koziol is the Festival Director of the annual Wairoa Maori Film Festival, and is of Ngati Rakaipaaka and Ngati Kahungunu descent.

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