Maori Documentary Winner at Qantas Awards 2008

Maori Documentary Winner at Qantas Awards 2008

Front of the Box Productions LTD confirms its place as top Maori television production company by winning Best Maori Language Programme for its documentary ‘Children of the Revolution’ at the Qantas Film and TV Awards in Auckland on Saturday.

The gala event held at Auckland’s historic Civic Theatre is billed as New Zealand’s Oscars and Emmy Awards and honours the best of the best in both film and television.

‘Children of the Revolution’ a documentary detailing iconic moments in New Zealand’s history through the eyes of the children of some of the country’s most renowned activists, covers the 1975 Land March, 1981 Springbok Tour and the 2004 Seabed Foreshore Hikoi.

On receiving the award, documentary Producer, Claudette Hauiti thanked the families who took part, John and Joseph Minto, Tame and Toi Iti, Hone, Hilda and Te Whenua Harawira, Sue and Katy Bradford and Tigi and Che Fu Ness. “Their stories recounted moments that shaped this nation. These parents were once reviled and their whanau especially the children paid the price often being bullied, sometimes being ostracised and frequent witnesses to parents being bashed or abused. Today the parents are seen in a very different light Hone Harawira and Sue Bradford are in parliament, John Minto is a respected social commentator, Tigi Ness is an award winning musician. Tame Iti is the only one still being pursued as a terrorist for his part in the Tuhoe Raids. No one would dispute their part as architects in shaping our future. But it’s the backroom stories recalled by the children that stands this documentary apart from other historical pieces.” says Hauiti.

Documentary Director, Makerita Urale’s creative use of archival material further enhances the poignancy and exhilaration of the stories which elevates the documentary from mere recollections to national memoirs.” Says Hauiti.

Children of the Revolution is Makerita’s fourth documentary for the company, her biography ‘Tarnz Story’ on teenage gang girl Tania was a finalist in Best Documentary at the Canadian Aborigine Film and TV Awards in 2007.

This is the second Qantas Award for Front of the Box Productions, it won Best Documentary in 2002 for ‘Gang Girls’ and in 2007 was co-winner of the New Zealand Media Peace Supreme Award with an investigative piece on the murder of gay man Stanley Waipouri.

‘Children of the Revolution’ is in te reo Maori with English subtitles. It was funded by Te Mangai Paho and screened on Maori Television.

ENDS

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