Waiata Anthems - 2024 Documentaries

This collection of short documentaries from Waiata Anthems 2024 features 12 artists, including those from the Taumata Programme — an initiative to support emerging artists to create waiata reo Māori and bilingual waiata. The artists share their personal journeys of reclaiming the Māori language, the obstacles and challenges they've faced, being inspired by a Māori worldview, and how songwriting in te reo Māori has become a salve and a tool for them. Waiata Anthems, a movement founded by Dame Hinewehi Mohi, supports singer-songwriters, musicians, and artists to translate and record waiata reo Māori with the guidance of mātanga reo. Click here for a guide to all 12 episodes. 

Māori use a lot of metaphor, and so songwriting feels like a good vehicle for actually using the language in the way it evolved to be used.

– Anna on weaving metaphor into her waiata as the next step in her reo Māori journey, in episode one

Key Cast & Crew

Julia Parnell

Producer

Parehuia Mackay

Producer, Director
Episodes: Nikau Grace

Hinewehi Mohi

Executive Producer

Luke Penney

Director, Editor
Episodes: Jordyn with a Why

Nathan Blundell

Director, Editor, Cinematographer
Episodes: Chase Woods

Josh Crosland

Director, Editor, Cinematographer
Episodes: Chase Woods