Tag: Māori representation
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Temuera Morrison Pays Heartfelt Tribute to Lee Tamahori, Calling Him ‘Probably Our Best Director’
Friendship and a Shared Rise in New Zealand Cinema In the wake of Lee Tamahori’s death at the age of 75, friends and collaborators are sharing memories of a filmmaker who helped shape New Zealand cinema on a global stage. Actor Temuera Morrison, whose career rocketed after their collaboration, described Tamahori as “probably our best…
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Lee Tamahori’s Once Were Warriors: A Groundbreaking NZ Debut
Introduction: A Debut That Shook New Zealand Cinema When Lee Tamahori released Once Were Warriors in 1994, he didn’t just debut a film; he announced a bold new voice in New Zealand cinema. The drama followed the Harawira family, a working-class Māori clan navigating the brutal realities of urban life in South Auckland. With visceral…