Moana Maniapoto

Written and directed by Tearepa Kahi (Mt Zion) and starring Maaka Pohatu (The Modern Maori Quartet, Two Little Boys) the film tells the story of musician Dalvanius Prime and the origin of the song “Poi E”, a ground-breaking fusion of 1980s pop and traditional Māori music. “Poi E”, composed by Dalvanius and Ngoingoi Pēwhairangi and performed by the Patea Māori Club, remains the only song in Te Reo Māori to reach No 1 in the charts, over 30 years since its 1984 release.

Five men from different islands throughout the South Pacific join forces in 1978 and find the words and the music within each other to give New Zealand its voice and Pacific place in the world.

As the name of this short film promises, a filmmaker (Merata Mita), a cook (Anne Thorp) and a singer (Moana Maniapoto) sit down for an interview at Pākiri beach. With a focus on their personal lives, these highly accomplished wahine Māori are generous in sharing what motivates and challenges them in their mahi — with friendship a recurring theme. Filmed a year after the disbanding of her group Moana and the Moahunters, Maniapoto is particularly vulnerable in her reflections. The film was made by Honours student Sam Cruickshank as part of a Film and Media Studies degree at Auckland University.

Whetū Mārama is the story of Sir Hekenukumai Ngaiwi Puhipi and his significance for Māori in rekindling their wayfinding DNA, reclaiming our place as traditional star voyages on the world map.   

Called a disruptor, navigator, transformer and visionary, Moana Jackson was many things to many people. Towards the end of his battle with cancer he sat down to talk about his life and groundbreaking work in Māori criminal justice and constitutional reform with broadcaster and ‘niece’ Moana Maniapoto.