Feature Documentary The Haka Party Incident In Cinemas January 30, 2025

On May 1st 1979, a group of young Māori and Pasifika activists, He Taua, confronted a gathering of University of Auckland engineering students as they rehearsed a ‘mock’ haka for their annual capping stunt.

The fracas that followed prompted the nation to confront systemic racism and begin to make change for a better and more equal partnership between Pākehā and Māori. 

Feature documentary The Haka Party Incident continues the conversation started in 1979 and reinvigorated by Katie Wolfe in her verbatim stage play of the same name that toured nationally in 2023 to sold out performances. She commented: “I first read about the incident in Ranginui Walker’s book Ka Whawhai Tonu Matou, the only New Zealand history book to mention what had remained a relatively hidden story in mainstream history. This confrontation was the perfect story to extend the focus of much of my work, the intersection between Māori and Pākehā. Haka is not only at the centre of the historic incident but forms the film’s structure.” 

The film uses archival and contemporary interviews with people who were directly involved including: Ben Dalton, Hone Harawira, Hilda Halkyard-Harawira, Brent Meekan, David Merritt and Ian Gibson, along with guests including Dr Ranginui Walker and the late Mitzi Nairn, as they reflect on the significance and impact this had on shaping the contemporary relationship in Aotearoa between Māori and Pākehā. 

THE HAKA PARTY INCIDENT IS IN CINEMAS ACROSS AOTEAROA FROM JANUARY 30, 2025.

Written, Directed & Produced by Katie Wolfe (Ngāti Mutunga, Ngāti Tama, Ngāti Toa Rangatira)
Produced by Tim Balme
Kaitito Haka by Nīkau Balme (Ngāti Mutunga, Ngāti Tama, Ngāti Toa Rangatira)
Vendetta Films is managing the NZ distribution

About The Haka Party Incident
On May 1st, 1979, a group of young Māori and Pasifika activists, He Taua, confronted a gathering of University of Auckland engineering students as they rehearsed their ‘mock’ haka. The fracas that followed prompted the nation to confront systemic racism and make change for a better and more equal partnership between Pākehā and Māori. Although the aftermath of the clash changed race relations in Aotearoa forever, the incident itself was quickly forgotten. Until now…

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