New Zealand

8′45″, 2022.

DIRECTED BY

Joshua Baker

PRODUCED BY

Maria Tanner

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Andrew McGeorge

EDITED BY

Simon Murtagh 

   A collective of Pasifika cultural guardians reactivate the ancient Tu’i Tonga kava ceremony for contemporary use in Aotearoa New Zealand in a way that honours tangata whenua (indigenous people).

Joshua Baker lived in the Cook Islands for fourteen years before moving to New Zealand and is familiar with the way of life on the island of Rarotonga. He is an emerging documentary filmmaker with over seven years of experience in the screen industry of New Zealand. Kava ‘o Aotearoa was slated for the Someday Stories Series 6 in 2022.

Maria Tanner is a Kūki ‘Āirani (Cook Islands) creative producer currently based in Aotearoa, New Zealand. She has created content for print, radio and television across the Pacific region before making the transition into creative storytelling.