Search results
Merata Mita CNZM (19 June 1942 – 31 May 2010) was a New Zealand filmmaker, producer, and writer, and a key figure in the growth of the Māori screen industry.
Oct 7, 2019 · Pioneering filmmaker Merata Mita was “the spark that actually set the fire” for indigenous cinema, as a new Netflix documentary about her by her son Hepi reminds the world.
Apr 28, 2022 · A single Māori mother who saw inequities in New Zealand, who had experienced oppression, racism, and sexism, Merata Mita (1942–2010) picked up a camera to speak for her people. She had no formal film training and she didn’t invent new techniques.
Merata Mita was born on 19 June 1942 in Maketu, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand. She was a producer and director, known for Boy (2010), Patu! (1983) and Mauri (1988). She was married to Geoff Murphy. She died on 31 May 2010 in Auckland, New Zealand.
Merata Mita is a key figure in the story of Māori filmmaking. Through documentaries, interviews and her dramatic feature Mauri, she was a passionate voice for Māori, a provocateur, an advocate for change, and an inspiration to a growing global tribe of indigenous filmmakers.
The sudden death of pioneering Māori filmmaker Merata Mita in 2010 led her son on a journey to uncover a story of a mother’s love that changed the landscape of indigenous participation in film forever. As a film archivist Hepi uncovers never before seen footage and shares.
Merata Mita argued forcefully that the voices of Māori and of women were sorely lacking on-screen. Best known for Springbok tour documentary Patu!, the straight-talking director and actor ran an indigenous filmmaking programme in Hawai'i, and inspired indigenous directors in Aotearoa and abroad.
