February 24, 2021
Maori film guild swamped with calls for help
A trade guild for Māori in film and television is being inundated with requests from international filmmakers for advice on portraying Māori characters.
Ngā Aho Whakaari spokesperson Hineani Melbourne says that's not really its role, so has asked the Film Commission for support to help it deal with such requests.
She says often film makers will try to create Māori characters based on what they have seen in films like Once Were Warriors or Whale Rider, or they think they can slot them in as another indigenous or coloured character.
"Some of the scripts are really good and some of the story ideas are great but they need Māori to work with them. So they still have to contact somebody. We also don't want to be giving out contact details willy nilly and they all want famous people – 'Do you have Taika's number? Do you know Cliff Curtis?'" Melbourne says.
There are 40 screen industry organisations, but Ngā Aho Whakaari is the only Māori one.
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