Takutai Nights is back! Head to Britomart to enjoy the FREE Mauri Moana by Māoriland Film Festival outdoors in Takutai Square. With DJ Milli playing from 4pm plus Britomart have partnered with some local food vendors to keep you fuelled with fresh popcornand plenty of movie-night eats.
About the screening:
Mauri Moana brings together a collection of short films by Indigenous filmmakers whose stories emerge from the vast oceans that connect our peoples. Across the Moana, the sea carries memory, identity and ancestral knowledge. These films reflect the living mauri – the life force – that flows between islands, communities and generations, reminding us that while our shores are distant, our connections run deep.
The Queen’s Flowers (Hawaiian)
A magical take on a true story, The Queen’s Flowers follows Emma, a native Hawaiian girl in 1915 Honolulu, as she makes a special gift for the last monarch of Hawai`i, Queen Lili`uokalani. Directed by Ciara Lacy. 11 minutes
Haagua (Nahua and Kumeyaay)
An Indigenous surf film highlighting the deep connection between Great Great Grandmother Ocean and her children. Directed by Octavio Aceves Coutiño and Marc Antony Chavez. 15 minutes
Mauri Moana (Māori)
A silent invader suffocates the seafloor, threatening the moana’s life force and its deep connection to tangata whenua. Directed by Nathaniel Howe. 10 minutes
Mawtini (My Homeland) (Palestine)
Nawal, a young Palestinian woman, and Tanya, an older Indigenous woman, start a guerrilla garden and battle middle management to reach harvest. Directed by Fateema Al-Hamaydeh Miller. 18 minutes
Open Looks (Kuki Airani)
Three sisters must journey to the Underworld after the death of their eldest sibling, where they play basketball to return home. Directed by Miria George. 13 minutes
First Horse (Māori)
In 1826 Aotearoa, a small girl in an isolated setting comes in first contact with two facets of colonisation: a foreign infectious disease and the first horse she’s ever seen. Directed by Awanui Simich Pene. 11 minutes
