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.
Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen (2019) is currently not available on any services.
Merata Mita , Alanis Obomsawin , Heather Rae , Blackhorse Lowe , Taika Waititi , Desmond Tutu
Hepi Mita
New Zealand Film Commission
