Merata

A documentary portrait of the pioneering indigenous filmmaker and activist Merata Mita, MERATA is an intimate tribute from a son about his mother that delves into the life of the first woman in the world from an indigenous nation to solely direct a film. Known as the grandmother of indigenous cinema, Merata's independent political documentaries of the 70's and 80's highlighted injustices for Maori people that often divided the country. She was fearless in her life, her activism and her art. MERATA chronicles the her journey to decolonize the film and television screens of New Zealand and the world.

MERATA documents the filmmaker's work, her early struggles with her family and her drive for social justice that often proved personally dangerous. Programmed as MERATA:
HOW MUM DECOLONISED THE SCREEN, the film made its World Premiere at the 2019 Sundance Film

Director: Hepi Mita
Stars: Awatea Mita, Eruera 'Bob' Mita, Hepi Mita