A documentary portrait of the pioneering indigenous filmmaker and activist Merata Mita and an intimate tribute from a son about his mother that delves into the life of the first woman from an Indigenous Nation to solely direct a film anywhere in the world. Known as the grandmother of Indigenous cinema, Merata’s independent political documentaries of the 1970s and 80s highlighted injustices for Māori people and often divided the country. Mita was fearless in her life, her activism and her art. Chronicling the director’s journey to decolonize the film and television screens of New Zealand and the world, the film documents her work, her early struggles with her family and her drive for social justice that often proved personally dangerous.
Credits
Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen Cast
| Name |
Character |
|
Taika Waititi
He was 43, now 49 years old
|
as Himself |
|
Merata Mita
She was 76, 67 years old when she died
|
as Herself (archive footage) |
|
Alanis Obomsawin
She was 86, now 92 years old
|
as Herself |
Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen Crew
| Name |
Department |
|
Annie Collins as Editor. She was 66 (now 71) years old
|
Editing |
