#Merata Mita

[directedbywomen]

Celebrating Merata Mita! "Merata Mita is a key figure in the story of Māori filmmaking. Through documentaries, interviews and her only dramatic feature Mauri, she was a passionate voice for Māori, and an advocate for social change." Read more on NZ On Screen's biography of Merata Mita: Director, Writer, Producer [Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāi Te Rangi].

Mauri (1988) "When she made Mauri, Merata Mita became the first Māori woman to write and direct a dramatic feature. Mauri (meaning life force), is loosely set around a love triangle and explores cultural tensions, identity, and changing ways of life in a dwindling East Coast town."

Read more on NZ On Screen.

Patu! (1983)

"...across different games in different cities, filming is a kinetic and almost desperate navigation of space; the camera is almost continually in motion, attempting to capture as much as it possibly can. With synchronised audio impossible, wild sound is layered into the mix to orient or disorient the action on screen. The chaos of real life violence becomes chaos on screen."

Read more in The Spinoff's The incredible legacy of Merata Mita’s Patu!.

Learn about Merata Mita's life and work by watching Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen (2018) directed by her son Heperi Mita. Watch the trailer:

Her legacy continues to be honored through Sundance's Merata Mita Fellowship, “created for Indigenous women-identified artists poised to direct their first feature film.”  This week Caroline Monnet was named the 2023 Fellowship recipient. Explore Merata Mita's filmography on MUBI:

#Merata Mita #directed by women #Caroline Monnet #Sundance #Patu! #Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen #Youtube #Mauri

[lesbiancolumbo]

As Indigenous woman filmmakers, we knew that our path through the industry would be narrow and that our film, Fancy Dance, would have a small window for success based on the abysmal record of representation for Indigenous folx in Hollywood. As such, we channeled our collective wills as granddaughters of Dust Bowl survivors, descendants of genocide and avowed followers of the indomitable Merata Mita to give this film the best shot possible. If there existed a “how to make a successful movie in Hollywood” checklist, we followed it to a tee. Step one: Create a compelling script (after her sister’s disappearance, a hustler kidnaps her niece from the child’s white grandparents and takes her to the state powwow in hopes of keeping what’s left of her family intact) – check. Step two: Find top-tier producing partners (Nina Yang Bongiovi, Tommy Oliver) – check. Step three: Cast amazing actors at the top of their field (soon-to-be Oscar nominee Lily Gladstone) – check. Step four: Premiere and screen at world-renowned festivals (Sundance, SXSW, BFI London) – check. Step five: Receive excellent reviews (THR called it “exceptional”) and festival prizes (Hamptons, L.A. Outfest, Mill Valley, NewFest, Sun Valley, Tacoma) – check. Step six: Get a distribution deal – …crickets.

#i am SOOOOO glad someone let erica write about this because it is the most fucked up thing i've seen ALL YEAR #one of the best films of the year and after all the KOTFM love (ugh) this gets CRICKETS? NOTHING? fuck y'all

[suchananewsblog]

Sundance Institute Selects Caroline Monnet As 2023 Merata Mita Fellow

The Sundance Institute has named Caroline Monnet because the recipient of the 2023 Merata Mita Fellowship. The annual fellowship is in honor of the late Māori filmmaker Merata Mita (1942-2010) created for Indigenous women-identified artists poised to direct their first function movie. Monnet (Anishinaabe/French) was acknowledged on the Native Forum Celebration at The Park in Park City, Utah…

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[infraredmag]

Sundance Institute Selects Caroline Monnet for 2023 Merata Mita Fellowship

Inspired by Contributions of Late Māori Filmmaker, Fellowship Provides Year-Round Support PARK CITY, UTAH, January 23, 2023 — Today the nonprofit Sundance Institute announced the recipient of the 2023 Merata Mita Fellowship, an annual fellowship named in honor of the late Māori filmmaker Merata Mita (1942-2010) created for Indigenous women-identified artists poised to direct their first…

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#Sundance Institute

[deadlinecom]

[christiantokelaurep]

Week 7 Critical Review Planning Pt. 4 (Essay)

What impact came from this:

The impact of Tame Iti, his stand to protect his whakapapa from outsiders who have ill intent.

Tame Iti has become one of the most recognised faces of Māori Activism 

Links towards:

Whina

Rua Kenana

Moana Maniapoto

Mason and Edward Durie

Merata Mita

Linda Tuhiwai-Smith

Tama Poata 

Ranginui Walker

Tipene O’regen 

Kura Te Waru Rewiri

Moana Jackson

Joseph Parata 

Hohepa Hawke

[saadiaaf]

Merata: How Mum Decolonized the Screen (Hepi Mita, 2018)

#merata #hepi mita #merata mita #merta: how mum decolonized the screen #documentary #aoteroa #nz #i really enjoyed this #a story of motherhood #indigenity #and love fr

[oldfilmsflicker]

Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen, 2018 (dir. Hepi Mita)

#Merata Mita

[fuckyeahworldoftaika]

#taika waititi #bird runningwater #merata mita

[madremnants]

#quote #merata mita #maori #indigenous cinema #new zealand

[filmantidote]

Directed by her youngest son and archivist Hepi Mita, the film is a deeply intimate portrait of the New Zealand filmmaker — who became the first indigenous woman to write and direct a narrative feature in the 1970s. Mita became an essential voice for her underrepresented community (director Taika Waititi is a disciple) and served as a longtime advisor to the Sundance Institute.

#merata: how mum decolonised the screen #hepi mita #merata mita #new zealand #2019

[lilybarthes]

None of the Polynesian races, including the Maori people, come from a literary heritage. So it suits me to make pictures on celluloid that were formerly pictures of the mind, memory pictures, pictures of the imagination, that the story teller uses all the time to make his stories more interesting and exciting. With the invention of film, the fact that you are able to transpose these pictures of memory, imagination and reality, mix them all up and make a story from them that you can see with your eye rather than with the mind’s eye, is, I think merely a continuation of the oral tradition. That’s how I see my work

Merata Mita, quoted in Chloe Cull’s Considering Merata Mita’s Legacy

#merata mita #excuse me while i weep!! #film #maori culture

[classicladiesofcolor]

#Merata Mita #Director

[clemsfilmdiary]

Utu (1983, Geoff Murphy)

2/18/19

#80s #Utu #New Zealand #Maori #Geoff Murphy #Anzac Wallace #Bruno Lawrence #Kelly Johnson #Merata Mita #Ilona Rodgers #adventure #action #historical #period #19th Century #western #revenge #colonialism #race #war #warriors #landscapes #shootout #army #tattoos #rebellion

[robtrujilloart]

Hey, this month you'll be able to watch a great documentary about pioneering filmmaker Merata Mita (New Zealand) distributed by Array films and available on Netflix this month.

Watch the trailer. Check out this drawing I did her awhile ago.

#merata mita #arraynow #array films #maori #new zealand #independent films #women in film

[wandering-tati]

Mauri 1988 directed by Merata Mita.

When she made Mauri, Merata Mita became the first Māori woman to direct, write and produce a feature film. Mauri(meaning life force), is loosely set around a love triangle and explores cultural tensions, identity, and a changing way of life in a dwindling East Coast town. As with Barry Barclay's Ngati, Mauri played a key role in the burgeoning Māori screen industry; the production team numbered 33 Māori and 20 Pākehā, including interns from Hawkes Bay wānanga. NZ art icon Ralph Hotere helmed the production design; Māori activist Eva Rickard played kuia Kara -NZ On Screen

#Merata Mita #New Zealand Cinema