Heperi Mita, 88 min, 2019

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 in the life of the first woman from an Indigenous Nation to solely direct a film anywhere in the world. 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. Mita was fearless in her life, her activism and her art. MERATA chronicles the Mita's journey to decolonize the film and television screens of New Zealand and the world.

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

Director Q&A with Hepi Mita via Skype to follow screening!