Māori getting to tell their own stories

Arts and Culture Kaupapa Māori Business

They’ve lived in big cities and travelled the world - but for a group of Māori screen professionals there is no better place to tell Māori stories and foster talent than Rotorua.

Rotorua’s Steambox Film Collective started out as a group of friends hanging out and discussing the films and television programmes they dreamed of making. From there it was formalised and while its central membership includes Lara Northcroft, Mike Jonathan, Tihini Grant, Tim Worrall, Jo Curtis, Lea McLean, Richard Curtis and Nicola Smith, it also extends to their friends in the industry and their whānau.

At their core is the desire to ensure Māori are in control of their own stories.

“As storytellers, to be in control of the narrative and the way in which we as a people are portrayed, it’s hugely important. Having a story told about you versus telling your own story, it's an important distinction to make,” Tihini said.

Tihini, a director and former television presenter, said the group did what Māori did naturally, “which was to come together and support each other”. While each member has their own company and projects, together they provide support to get projects up and running, and support to nurture and develop skills.

The collective is responsible for short films such as Tits on a Bull, Ow What!, Elevation and Ahi Kaa; and has been involved with television programmes including Vegas and Kairākau.

“As a group we wrote and produced and directed a whole bunch of short films and then those films started to win awards. From there we kind of thought the progression is feature films, the first one of which we only shot last year.”

That film, Ka Whawhai Tonu, which was directed by Mike Jonathan, will reach cinemas during Matariki.

“What I'm really most proud of or most satisfied with is when we produce a story that rings true to us, has an air of authenticity to it and honours who we are and who our ancestors were,” Tihini said.

“There’s really no other work I’d rather be doing.”

With all members of the collective living and working in Rotorua, it is clear they value what the city offers.

“We’ve always known we’re rich in locations here,” Tihini says.

Nicola, a producer and director, says in this industry people often think you need to be in the big cities to secure the big jobs, funding and experience. She, like many in the collective had based themselves in Auckland for work over the years but there was no doubt Rotorua could deliver. When she returned to Rotorua before lockdown she never moved back.

“What lockdown did was prove that you don’t actually need to be in those big cities to be making content, you don’t have to be there to get things funded . . . anything can happen in the regions,” Nicola said.

She said Rotorua was a good base for filmmakers because of the talent in the city, the interest and support from locals and the beauty of its natural resources and scenery.

“Rotorua is a place that has a lot of hidden talent.”

Before working in film and television Nicola was a police officer who had hope of creating change. When she made the move into television, although the industries were different, her motivation remained the same - to portray Māori and minorieis in a positive light.

Steambox Film Collective launched the Rotorua Indigenous Film Festival (RIFF), showcasing the best indigenous films from around the world and Tohea, a film production apprenticeship course for rangatahi - many of whom have gone on to work in the industry.

For Nicola, these are among Steambox Film Collective’s biggest achievements, also aligning with her own goals for her work.

She has big hopes for Rotorua as a hub for the film and television industry, highlighting the variety of film, television and digital media content being made in the area beyond what the Steambox Film Collective was doing. In a couple of years she believed Rotorua could have its own industry.

“It’s actually really pumping down here, which is great for the industry.”