The work of ocean videographer Andre Rerekura who is of Māori descent features in the global documentary series Mammal, narrated by world-renowned broadcaster and biologist Sir David Attenborough.
Raised in Australia, Rerekura spent six weeks in Tīkapa Moana (Hauraki Gulf) capturing the movements, behaviours, and habits of False Killer Whales. These oceanic dolphins, known for their skulls resembling those of Orcas, are a species found worldwide but have a significant presence in Aotearoa.
Reflecting on his first encounter with the mammals, Rerekura says it was an incredible experience.
“The first time I hopped in the water, there was a pod of maybe 15 younger ones and they came flying in so hot and started circling me, whistling and playing. I was super adrenaline pumped.”
He hononga tāngaengae
E 20 tau neke atu a Rerekura e mahi whakaahua nei ki Te Tai Rāwhiti me Te Tai Hauāuru o Ahiterēiria.
Ko āna mahi e hāngai pū atu ana ki ngā mahi a ngā uri a Tangaroa, mangō mai, tohorā mai, arā atu, arā atu. Ā, ko tāna e kōingo nei, ko te whakaatu i te oranga o te wai, ā, ko āna tini hua anō hoki.
Ahakoa i tipu mai ai a Rerekura ki Ahitereiria nōna e rua tau noa iho te pakeke, i a ia e kapo ana i ngā āhuatanga tō te tohorā nei, ka rongo a Rerekura i tētahi oranga ngākau i te kauhoe tahi ki ngā tipua o tuawhakarere.
“There were times where I was in the middle of 30 to 40 False Killer Whales like I was just one of them. I didn’t want to come back up.”
Arā te huhua o ngā kōrero mō te mahi ngātahi a te tohorā me te tangata ki tō te ao Māori titiro, pērā i a Paikea ki Te Tai Rāwhiti, ngā tohorā e ārahi nei i te waka o Tākitimu, arā noa atu anō hoki.
Ā, ko te kī a Rerekura, e rongo ana ia i taua hononga tāngaengae i a ia e mahi ana i rō wai.
“I always have a lot of these wild interactions and it’s just being there as well with the False Killer Whales. There were a couple of moments that were just insane with even just one individual who was just coming right up to me, following me around, millimeters from my face just whistling and clicking and looking into each other’s eye. We ended up naming him Reka, which in Māori means sweet because he was sweet.”
Te mahi pakipūmeka mō David Attenborough
Ko te kohinga pakipūmeka e kī a nei ko Mammals te hōtaka hou a Tā David Attenborough, e kōrero ana mō ngā tini whāngote i te wao, me te wai, pērā i te kākahi, te mangō, te makimaki, te mea, te mea.
Ko ngā mahi a Attenborough i roto i ngā tau e aro pū atu ana ki ngā āhuatanga o ngā whāngote i roto ake i tō rātau taiao.
Heoi anō, ka rongo atu ki te karanga a Tā Attenborough i tōna ingoa i roto i te hōtaka nei tētahi moemoeā kua whai kiko ki a Rerekura.
“I almost teared up when he said my name. He’s such an idol and for him to even narrate the footage that I filmed and for him to talk about me and saying my name it was an incredible privilege.”
Kāre rāua i tūtaki a kanohi nei i mua i te whakapuakitanga mai o te kiriata, ā, e kore ngā whakamānawa e whakapaua ki a ia.
“He’s an amazing man who does amazing things.”
Whāngaia te āpōpō
E āki nui ana a Rerekura ki te whakatipuranga o te nāianei ki te whakapuaki i tō rātau wairua auaha kia puta ai ngā kōrero o te taiao.
Hai tāna, ahakoa te tangata ka tīmata mai i hea, inā ko te wānanga me ngā kairangahau, ko te whakaahuatia taiao, i hea atu rānei, ko te mea nui kia arohia ki tāu i pai ai.
“If you want to get into filmmaking or documentary stuff, whatever you can afford, whatever camera you can get, just film it and play with it, make something out of it. You never know where it’s going to go, or where it’s going to get picked up.”
Kai te taupānga o TVNZ+ te pakipūmeka nei arā ko ‘Mammals.’
