Mataku - The Fishing Trip (Te Hi Ika)

...there are still creatures unseen and unknown to man...things man may never understand.

– Opening narration

I'd say 70 per cent of the crew were Māori and 95 per cent of the cast. And many Māori who had been working support positions in the film industry were given their breaks on this job — from writers to directors wardrobe to camera. For us, the bigger picture is the chance to grow a Māori film industry in New Zealand.

– Mataku co-creator Carey Carter

The show never overreaches its limited capacity for special effects, either. The plotlines and mythology are enough so that it’s unnecessary to kitsch up the show with terrible props. Pacing and suspense are also used effectively, and there are some moments of real dread.

– Spinoff writer Don Rowe in a review of the Mataku series, 30 October 2015

We have a responsibility to our culture and our spirituality. Our people are very spiritual people and here we are taking some of that spirituality and turning them into stories so the rest of the world can get a glimpse of that aspect of our culture.

– Writer, director and producer Carey Carter on bringing Māori stories to the screen, The NZ Herald, 26 September 2002