Prior to the release of Waru in 2018, Merata Mita had held the title of “only wahine Maori to direct a feature film’ for 30 years. 

Globally female film directors still make up less than half the industry.

In this event, Nga Pakiaka will present a screening of Half The Picture - a documentary that celebrates the ground-breaking work of female film directors, while investigating the systemic discrimination that has, for decades, denied opportunities to far too many talented women in Hollywood.

Directed by Amy Adrion, Half The Picture includes interviews with directors like Ava DuVernay, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Jill Soloway and Lena Dunham, framed by the ongoing US EEOC investigation into Hollywood’s hiring practices that discriminate against women directors. 

This screening will be introduced by Nipmuc/US director and activist Maria Giese, who initiated that investigation and features in the film, with Q&A with Maria Giese and Nasreen Alkhateeb to follow. 

Nga Pakiaka are the rangatahi leaders of the Maoriland Charitable Trust - they are a roopu of rangatahi filmmakers aged 14 - 24 from across Aotearoa.