March 14, 2023
Ngamaru Raerino a cultural champion
Māori in the screen industry is mourning scholar, actor and screenwriter Ngamaru Raerino, who has died at the age of 79.
Mr Raerino, who is of Mātaatua, Te Arawa and Tainui descent, started his working life in the police but moved on to a wide-ranging career which included broadcasting, setting up a Maori media degree at AUT, writing scripts for productions like the Whale Rider and Makutu, and advising cast and crew on Shortland St how to give their performances cultural authenticity.
Ella Henry, who succeeded him as chair of Maori screen guild Nga Aho Whakaari, says she’s lost a dear friend.
“I could ring him up and say ‘kia ora Maru, we are going to have a hui for our Maori filmmakers,’ and he and his wife would hop in their car, tootle up to Auckland and do our mihi, do our whakawhanaungatanga, do a presentation about the history of film. You don’t get many people with the capacity to transcend multiple careers but still have a huge heart of gold for all of us who follow in their wake,” she says.
Ngamaru Raerino is at Tarimano Marae in Rotorua today and will be taken to Tuteao Marae in Te Teko tomorrow.