CLIFF CURTIS’ PRIDE PRODUCTION
Kiwi Hollywood star Cliff Curtis jets into Auckland from his Los Angeles base this week for Thursday’s premiere of Merata at the ASB Waterfront Theatre.
As executive producer, he gets to tell the story of his idol Merata Mita, who, in 1988, was the first Māori woman to write and direct a narrative feature — Mauri.
Her sudden death in 2010 led her son Hepi on a journey to uncover a story of a mother’s love that forever changed the landscape of indigenous participation in film. A list of filmmakers Mita touched includes star director Taika Waititi, whose wife Chelsea Winstanley directed the
Merata production.
“It is an exceptionally beautiful documentary about love. It not only celebrates the extraordinary life and work of Merata as a woman and a powerful storyteller, it also examines the struggles and cost of being a mother and the deep well of love that she had for her children and they have for her,” Curtis says.
“Merata was my greatest mentor and influence as a story teller. She upheld the highest values of courage, integrity and authenticity for me to aspire to.”
Curtis, 49, originally from Rotorua, says the movie will have a New Zealand International Film Festival showing on Thursday, then a cinema release.
After Thursday night’s premiere he will be chilling as best as he can.
“I’m looking forward to simply being home when I get back. I am always grateful for the privilege of travelling internationally for work and being able to come home and simply be.”
The actor zig-zags back and forth to Hollywood and was home last month mentoring the next generation of filmmakers on a panel in Auckland.
The Fear the Walking Dead star will also be turning his attention to the role of Tonowari in the next instalments of James Cameron’s Avatar movie franchise.