A Feast of Films on Maori Television during RWC 2011

14 September 2011

A Feast of Films on Maori Television during RWC 2011

With no live Rugby World Cup matches scheduled on 1 October, Maori Television invites you to stay home and enjoy the free-to-air exclusive premiere of Boy at 9.00pm.

Set in a rural East Coast settlement in 1984, the Taika Waititi-directed film is the highest grossing New Zealand film of all time, and Maori Television is thrilled to be the first to screen it free-to-air.

Maori Television general manager of programming Haunui Royal says the indigenous broadcaster was behind the film from the beginning.

“We backed Taika as a young filmmaker with enormous potential and we are pleased that a production that we took a punt on has been such a huge success,” he says.

Boy is part of the incredible line-up of programming Maori Television has compiled around its free broadcasts of all 48 Rugby World Cup 2011 games.

In keeping with the channel’s rugby theme, The 16th Man screens on Sunday, 2 October at 8.30pm. Narrated by Oscar winner Morgan Freeman, the documentary tells the emotional story of the 1995 Rugby World Cup when the Springboks gained supporters of all colours after they beat New Zealand.

Stay tuned later in the evening for the eye-opening documentary about women’s rugby in Iran in Salam Rugby (9.30pm on Sunday, 2 October). Director Faramarz Beheshti reveals the social and political dimensions of the sport, which operates under the restrictions imposed by a patriarchal system.

Comic relief is on its way with Mortgage, a contemporary parable about the realities of modern life, on Tuesday, 4 October at 9.00pm. Set in Israel, the film is a darkly funny story about how far young couple Beny and Esty will go to save their house in hard economic times.

And the finale film for the week is the international free-to-air premiere of Apocalypto, on 7 October at 9.00pm. Mel Gibson’s action-adventure depicts the journey of a Mesoamerican tribesman who must escape human sacrifice and rescue his family after the capture and destruction of his village.

Maori Television CEO Jim Mather says the station is looking forward to welcoming many new viewers to the network during Rugby World Cup 2011.

“We want to ensure these people stay tuned into Maori Television beyond the final whistle, so we’ve created a unique programming line-up with rugby at its heart.”

ENDS

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