June 19, 2024
New perspective on Whanganui hikoi
A new film documentary offers a new perspective on the Whanganui River.
Ko au te Awa, ko te Awa ko au screens tonight in Otautahi as part of the Doc Edge documentary festival, and will also screen in Wellington and Auckland.
River guardian Ned Tapa took the filmmakers from Norway and the Netherlands on a voyage down the awa.
He says some of the footage surprised even seasoned canoeists.
“You know we see the water, we see the rapids, we see the cliffs beside us – and the ngāhere. But some of those scenes – when they put the drones up into the air, we actually saw the ngāhere in its full beauty. That was the most touching part for all of us, to be able see things that we’ve never seen before,” Mr Tapa says.
He says the Netherlands crew, and the connection made with Aboriginals fighting for the survival of Australia’s Murray River, made it an experience he will always remember.