This article was first published by RNZ
Filming on a television series, believed to be the first mainstream prime-time production to have 30 percent of its dialogue in te reo Māori, has just wrapped in Taranaki.
The Warner Brothers Discovery-backed drama Tangata Pai is being made in partnership with Te Atiawa iwi and Ngāti Te Whiti hapū.
It tells the story of five people whose worlds collide when a bomb is detonated at a peaceful Māori protest against a licence to mine a sacred site.
Writer-director Kiel McNaughton, who has whakapapa to Taranaki iwi and Parihaka, said the show had parallels with past struggles and contemporary issues such as seabed mining.
“In terms of Māori needing to stand up. Stand up for their rights, stand up for their land, stand up for what we believe in.
“And we are having to do that now and we were having to do that 140 years ago, so for me it’s about looking at what’s changed. Has anything changed?”
McNaughton, who is still on his reo journey, said it was important to normalise the use of the language.
“What’s exciting about this is that it is being embraced by a broader network which has a much larger audience.
“And being able to get this 30 percent reo content, which shouldn’t be intimidating for a non-Māori speaking audience, so for us to have that on Three and for Warner Brothers Discovery to support this is really exciting.”
Former journalist Mereana Hond, who is from Taranaki and Ngāti Ruanui iwi, is overseeing the use of te reo and tikanga.
She said Tangata Pai would include subtitles to make it accessible to as many people as possible.
“The fact that it is 30 percent te reo Māori is what sold it to iwi that have chosen to be a part of this.
“This is a collaboration, it is a partnership, there is a memorandum of agreement between iwi and the producers to create something which tells our stories in a different way.”
Hond said Māori were accustomed to telling their stories to journalists and historians and this time they were using a fictional narrative set within a factually accurate historical context.
The partnership with iwi extended to influence over how the characters reacted to the challenges they faced.
“The fact that we would set up an occupation, that we would create our waiata and haka to tell those stories.
“All of the compositions are original and the reo is Taranaki reo. It has been a really positive experience. It’s been exciting for us.”
Hond said not all Māori agreed on issues traversed in the series and the storyline did not shy away from that, but illustrated how that could be worked through.
“How we talk to each other. How we create a space so that people can express themselves. That is tikanga Māori. That is absolutely Taranaki tikanga.
“That is what is so beautiful about this. That we can show the world how we think, what we believe in, what is important to us and that we don’t have to fight each to resolve our differences.”
Tangata Pai producer Kerry Warkia said the eight-part series, which features Nicola Kāwana, Shavaughn Ruakere and Jayden Daniels among other actors, was a big deal.
“We’ve got a main cast of around 50, we’ve got five leads and then we’ve got supporting leads, then we’ve got supporting background talent.
“And right here at the moment we are flying in and out about 15 of our leads, but they are coming from different parts of the country.”
Locals had also been able to get in front of the cameras.
“There’s heaps of background talent here in Ngāmotu, so that’s been terrific to engage the local community and have them come and be a part of the series and the filming.
“And then we have lots of crew that we’ve brought from different parts of the country. The majority I would say from Auckland.”
Warkia - who has Scottish and Papua New Guinea heritage - agreed with Hond that one of Tangata Pai’s strengths was its illustration of how disputes could be dealt with.
“The idea of maungaarongo which is very much about creating space for people to speak even if they have very different opinions.
“Creating a space where they can specifically discuss all of those differences, and that is healthy and important and shouldn’t be avoided.”
Filming of Tangata Pai, which has Te Māngai Pāho and NZ On Air funding, has now moved to Auckland.
It will screen on Three and Three Now next year.
By Robin Martin of RNZ