Nga para i te kahikatoa : Maori filmmaking, forging a path

Abstract

This thesis examines and analyses Māori filmmaking in Aotearoa/New Zealand and, in particular, dramatic feature films with reference to an indigenous global context. This thesis is grounded in Kaupapa Māori theory, a theory that is founded in Māori epistemological and metaphysical traditions. Film is an important part of identity formation and contributes to how we see ourselves as Māori. It shapes others' perceptions of us locally and globally. There is a struggling but growing movement in the making of Māori dramatic and documentary films, which began in the late 1970s and 1980s. However, very few Māori driven and directed dramatic feature films have been made. Therefore, Māori pioneer filmmakers Barry Barclay (Ngati 1987), Merata Mita (Mauri 1988) and Don Selwyn (Te Tangata Whai Rawa o Weniti - Mdori Merchant of Venice 2002) are significant contributors to our cinematic history. Their films offer us unique and transformative cinematic representations of Māori in the form of dramatic feature films. Little research has been conducted on the conditions of Māori filmmaking, the processes and environments and how these may create barriers or encourage Māori filmmaking aspirations, in addition, only a small body of work exists that examines Māori film and filmmaking that is grounded in Kaupapa Māori theory. This study gives voice to our history and tells part of the story of pioneers in Māori film. Articulating the political and economic nature of filmmaking, the study raises fundamental issues about filmmaking practices and Māori cinematic aspirations. One contribution of the thesis is the development of Kia Manawanui: Kaupapa Mdori Film Theoretical Framework - that builds on previous theoretical work. The framework offers new ways to understand and examine films grounded in Māori world views and experiences. Key findings highlight how Māori identities and culture are validated through cinematic narrative and visual representations. This was a deliberate act on the part of the pioneer filmmakers who recognised the transformative potential of cinema; offering a rare opportunity to see Māori reflected on screen in this manner.