Best NZ Documentaries Re-Visited on Maori TV

PUBLICITY RELEASE
FRIDAY DECEMBER 1 2006

Best NZ Documentaries Re-Visited on Maori Television

Maori Television is giving viewers another chance to see some of its best New Zealand documentaries every Wednesday at 8.30 PM.

The one-hour specials revisited in the New Zealand Documentary slot, Pakipumeka o te Ao, cover a variety of topics – from grand opera and fashion design to iwi sports and festivals, and tributes honouring Dame Te Arikinui Te Atairangikaahu in the 39th year of her reign.

Documentaries screening over the next six weeks are:

TE MATEMATEONE A NGAI TUHOE –Wednesday December 6 at 8.30 PM
Te Hui Ahurei o Tuhoe is the oldest iwi festival in Aotearoa. Every two years, hundreds of iwi members meet at Te Rewarewa Marae in Ruatoki for three days of celebrations. This documentary covers the latest festival in May 2005 when Tuhoe met to rekindle bonds, share learning and compete in kapa haka and sport.

OHAU – Wednesday December 13 at 8.30 PM
When King Potatau Te Wherowhero became the first Maori King in 1858, the foundations were laid for the Koroneihana celebration. It soon incorporated sports and kapa haka and this documentary follows the experience of the Ohau group from Te Arawa as they participate in Koroneihana 2005.

TE KAWAU MARO O MANIAPOTO – Wednesday December 20 at 8.30 PM
The Ngati Maniopoto bi-annual festival in Te Kuiti aims to develop and strengthen positive relationships among the people of the iwi through cultural, sporting and recreational activities. From the opening powhiri to the enthralling Maniapoto march from the town clock to the marae, this documentary weaves together festival highlights.

OPERA IN THE PA – Wednesday December 27 at 8.30 PM
The historical Tama Te Kapua Marae in Rotorua is the venue for this popular concert, featuring the best young opera performers, both Maori and non-Maori, from around the motu. This special show is the best of the 2005 Opera In The Pa and is a spine-tingling sensation, blending culture and sound.

DARLING OF DUBAI – Wednesday January 3 at 8.30 PM
Follow the meteoric rise to fame of Kiwi fashion designer Peter Loughlin (Ngati Tuwharetoa) as he takes haute couture to the privileged women of Dubai. Peter’s House of Arushi label is popular with the Middle Eastern royalty and he’s known for his exclusive $200,000 jewel-encrusted gowns that can take months to make.

NGA POU O ROTO – Wednesday January 10 at 8.30 PM
Presented by two young Tainui, this documentary goes behind the scenes of Koroneihana 2005 to meet the unsung heroes of the event. Broadcaster Pumi Tumai and schoolteacher Matehaere Clarke use humour and a hands-on approach to discover why hard-working volunteers give their all to be part of Koroneihana.

Don’t miss this chance to re-visit the best home-grown documentaries, screening in Maori Television’s New Zealand Documentary slot, Pakipumeka o te Ao, on Wednesdays at 8.30 PM.

ENDS

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