A long fight to tell the story of New Zealand Wars in te reo

The groundbreaking film Ka Whawhai Tonu goes to cinemas this Matariki weekend, with high hopes of a box office success after eight years of development and several funding rejections.

The pivotal 1864 battle of O-Rākau in the New Zealand Wars in Waikato is told through the eyes of two young teenagers caught up in the chaos of the battle.

It is the first feature film to tell a piece of history from the Māori perspective, in te reo – and that made it difficult to secure funding, says lead producer Piripi Curtis.

“Everyone’s going, ‘sounds good, but am I going to get my money back? No, it’s too risky’,” he says.

Read on @ RNZ