One Man, One Haka, One Global Phenomenon

Wednesday, 14 September 2011

One Man, One Haka, One Global Phenomenon

The story of Ngati Toa chief Te Rauparaha and the iconic rise of his haka, Ka Mate, will be told for the first time on Maori Television during Rugby World Cup 2011.

Ka Mate The Haka The Legend airs on Saturday 1 October at 8pm, before Maori Television’s free-to-air exclusive screening of Boy at 9pm.

The special one-hour drama documentary is the first time Porirua-based iwi Ngati Toa has supported its story being brought to the screen.

It is also the first time actors and crew have been permitted to recreate the haka on the historic sites where Ka Mate was first incanted on the Central Plateau.

Writer and director Wiremu Grace says people see the haka being performed and are awestruck, but the story behind the haka, where it really came from, is far more gripping.

“Life and death, the supernatural, there’s more to it than what’s seen on the surface,” says Grace.

“I believe it’s important for iwi to tell their own stories from their own perspective."

Narrated by actor Jim Moriarty, Ka Mate The Haka The Legend reveals where it all began, from when the warrior Te Rauparaha was born to the location where Ka Mate was immortalised beside the shores of Lake Rotoaira.

The story then parallels the journey of Te Rauparaha and his people against the rising status of the haka.

Ka Mate The Haka The Legend is the first documentary to explore how Ka Mate crossed over into the mainstream and its emergence on to the new battleground of rugby.

Former Irish captain, Willie Anderson remembers leading his team to within inches of the All Blacks haka, the first international side to ever challenge the performance:

“The crowd just went wild. The atmosphere was electric,” he says.

Former All Blacks captain and legend Wayne (Buck) Shelford says Te Rauparaha’s words are still relevant today.

“For a sports person who is going out on to a field it’s all about winning and losing. And when you lose, okay, it’s not death but it feels like it!”

Funded by New Zealand On Air and Maori Television, Ka Mate The Haka The Legend looks at the haka’s undeniable imprint of a nation’s psyche.

Producer, Maramena Roderick says the approach is a critical and honest look into how the haka has divided, united and shaped who we are.

“It’s the authentic story but it is also a nation’s journey and long overdue.”

Ka Mate The Haka The Legend screens on Saturday 1 October at 8pm, leading into Maori Television’s free-to-air- exclusive screening of Boy at 9pm.

Tune into Maori Television during Rugby World Cup 2011 for a great selection of movies, documentaries and free coverage of all 48 games.

ENDS

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