July 04, 2023
South Auckland past capture in film
Some rarely-seen gems of Pasifika and Māori filmmaking will be screened this week as part of the Whau Pasifika Festival.
The 12-hour PolyFilms Marathon at the Hollywood Theater in Avondale on Thursday will include recent releases like Red, White & Brass and Moana Sing-Along with classics like O Tamaiti and the 1986 Polynesian Easy Rider, the telemovie Mark II.
Mark II co-writer and actor Mitchell Manuel says he’s keen to see what the current generation makes of its evocation of 1980s Māori and Pasifika urban youth culture.
“You can definitely say Mark II was a reflection of south Auckland. The premise of the movie was to look at things that were more parochial, more in line with what was happening in the mid-80s which was when the movie was to be released, and it was more a reflection of the society we believed we were growing up around,” he says.
Sessions are free, but bookings will be needed for Red, White & Brass and Mark II.