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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.
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.
Oct 7, 2019 · A documentary by her son Hepi celebrates the life and work of Merata Mita, the first Māori woman to make films and a pioneer of indigenous cinema. Learn about her landmark documentary Patu!, her activism, her family and her impact on the screen.
A documentary by Hepi Mita about his mother, Merata Mita, a pioneering Māori filmmaker who challenged colonial narratives. The film explores her life, work and legacy through archive footage and interviews.
Apr 28, 2022 · Learn about Merata Mita, the first and only Māori woman to write and direct a feature film, and a pioneer of Indigenous cinema. She used her camera to document her people's struggles and stories, and mentored new filmmakers at the Sundance Institute.
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.
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.
