Whetū Mārama - Bright Star

Documentary Whetū Mārama – Bright Star tells the story of Sir Hekenukumai Ngaiwi Puhipi — aka 'Hek' Busby — and his significance for Māori in reigniting their wayfinding DNA. At age 50 the former bridge builder embraced waka building and traditional Māori navigation. This trailer contains snippets of interviews, waka hourua voyaging and footage of Busby and navigator Nainoa Thompson on the Aurere, a traditional, double-hulled waka which Busby built and sailed across the Pacific in 1985. Directors Toby Mills and Aileen O'Sullivan spent 15 years developing the documentary alongside Busby, who died in 2019.   

His passion was engineering; I mean he was a bridge-builder, he built 200 bridges in Northland. Metaphorically he became this other bridge-builder as well, a bridge-builder of Oceania. He connected us back to the other islands of Polynesia…it must have been in his DNA.

– Co-director Toby Mills on the 'destiny' of Sir Hekenukumai Ngaiwi Puhipi, Radio New Zealand, 14 November 2021

Key Cast & Crew

Toby Mills

Co-Director

Aileen O'Sullivan

Co-Director

Moana Maniapoto

Composer

Paddy Free

Composer

Alun Bollinger

Cinematographer

Ken Sparks

Editor