Te Whiringa Taura o Whanganui

I usually run a mile from docos containing too many historical "dramatisations" . . . But writer/director Howard Taylor's investigation of the mythical, historical, ecological and spiritual aspects of the Whanganui River is deeply moving . . .  You're left entertained, enlightened and politicised.

– Grant Smithies reviewing this documentary in The Sunday Star-Times

The stunning Whanganui River has always been the heart, the lifeblood of the many hapū of the river. Providing food, transport and spiritual sustenance, it is both a taonga and an ancestor for the people living along its banks. This is the story of a river. It is also a story of a people who have fought to preserve their river and their place on it. 

– Narrator Parata Reweti, early in this documentary

The waters flowing westward from the feet of the Kahui maunga provided a pathway for Taranaki to follow, carving out deeper gorges which are now the Whanganui River. The mimi of Tongariro flowed down through these gorges, bringing healing and life until it met...a concrete dam. Myth meets modern politics in the 21st century, and cultural values collide with the harsh realities of a market economy.

– Narrator Parata Reweti, early in this documentary

Who has tino rangatiratanga over the river? The warriors may change, but the battle is the same. Who will control the river? Who will care for it?

– Presenter Sacha Te Utupoto Keating