November 29, 2018
Merata Mita film pick for Sundance
An intimate portrayal of a ground-breaking Māori filmmaker told through the eyes of her children is to have its international premiere at the prestigious 2019 Sundance Film Festival.
Merata Mita, who died in 2010, was the first Māori woman to write and direct a narrative feature with her 1988 film, Mauri, while her political films highlighted the injustices for Māori people during the 1980s.
Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen was directed by her son, film archivist Heperi Mita, and produced by Chelsea Winstanley, Tearepa Kahi and Cliff Curtis.
Chelsea Winstanley says Merata Mita’s example continues to inspire indigenous voices around the world to tell their own stories.
Sundance has had a long tradition of championing the stories and voices of indigenous filmmakers.
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