Maori Representations in NZ

 Task 1 

Jean Teng speaks to New Zealand film-makers and funding bodies to assess how well we’re doing with “diversity and inclusion” in Aotearoa. Are we failing to support emerging filmmakers from minority communities, and can this summit act as a catalyst for change?

The Power of Inclusion summit took place over two days at the Aotea Centre on 3-4 October. It was hosted by the New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC) and Women and Film in Television International, and supported by the Walt Disney Company and a range of other, smaller players. There were high-profile international guests, including keynote speakers Geena Davis and Yara Shahidi, and many local film-makers and producers.

The summit’s stated intention was to “posit future action to create a more inclusive industry and world”. Annabelle Sheehan, the Film Commission’s chief executive, later said that care was taken to ensure the programme didn’t become an echo chamber. The presence of producers and decision-makers in high positions meant the summit would be “a place where you could have gatekeepers think about what they do”.

Heperi Mita was a director of Merata and he was identified as a significant voice because of:( How Mum Decolonized the Screen) he also called out New Zealand’s film industry for its racism, both historical and contemporary, towards Maori.

NZFC and NZ On Air have a strategy of bumping up against discrimination and the challenges speakers faced churned up the room, and, as evidenced by the subsequent discussions online, churned up the industry, too.

as well as the recurring theme of the lack of support for emerging practitioners.