Ralph Hotere on Screen

This Spotlight collection showcases Ralph Hotere (Te Aupōuri), one of New Zealand's most celebrated artists. Hotere was rarely seen on screen, and famously tight-lipped about his work, but he can be celebrated in two key films: Sam Pillsbury’s observational 1974 film Ralph Hotere (descrbed as a “classic” by Ian Wedde) and Merata Mita’s 2001 portrait. He is also seen in Heartland’s Port Chalmers episode: Gary McCormick visits his studio and chats with Hotere — who slyly disrupts plans for an aluminum smelter, roughly eight minutes into the second clip. In March 2013 Hotere was farewelled at a tangi in Mitimiti.