Web series a ‘love letter’ to town
Characters based on people TikTok star grew up with
TikTok sensation Haukatangi Heta, 31, says his 2023 comedy web series A Place Called Te Awamutu is a love letter to the town he grew up in and his whānau who created all of his good memories.
Released online between August 21 and September 16, the 15-part short series was set in Te Awamutu.
The story unfolds around a Māori family living under one roof. Despite their love for one another, they constantly take pleasure in getting on each other’s nerves.
Made with the support of Te Māngai Pāho — an organisation that provides contestable, mixed-platform funding for producers and creators to create a diverse range of Māori content — the show stars Heta, Pehia King and John-Perry Porter Te Anini.
Jermaine Leef of the JGeeks and the Manaia M Films team were the manpower behind the scenes that “made the cogs in this series tick”.
“I’ve always been a bit of a performer, whether people liked it or not, since I was a kid.
“I really only honed in and sharpened my craft in high school,” Heta says.
“I don’t remember there being a lightbulb moment in which I decided I’d get into acting, but performing just felt natural to me. I was always a bit of a class clown and when I reached high school, my teacher, Miss Westhead [head of drama Kathleen Westhead] really guided me and lit the spark.
“My favourite part about acting is definitely the limitless and boundless realms of creativity that you can portray through it.
“Lockdown gave me time to find a platform, social media, on which to perform, and the rest was history.”
The characters in A Place Called Te Awamutu are based on people who Heta grew up around.
The initial story was created surrounding the characters, and because the characters were influenced by whānau and friends, it only made sense that it was set in Te Awamutu.
“When the series was pitched, I wanted Te Awamutu and its people to be the heart of the show.”
Heta says he was raised by a family of comics, whether they knew it or not.
“My family and friends have always been the centrefold of everything I do and it just so turned out that those same characters from my social media and from the series resonated really well with the audience,” he says.
“Add to that some creative intervention from the writers at Manaia M Films and the series was born.”
Heta, who is of Raukawa ki Wharepūhunga descent, wholeheartedly believes Māori and Pasifika people have a natural knack for creativity and storytelling.
“Whether that be through music, dance, performing arts, spoken word, kapa haka etc, but a lot of us get overlooked, sometimes by our own disbelief.
“I just hope I can be a small part of the already-moving wave of Māori/Polynesian creatives who are blazing trails.”
If the stars align, Heta is extremely hopeful for a second series to be made.
Until then he will continue to sharpen his craft, continue to create content and hope doors open in the creative space somewhere.
Heta’s advice to other aspiring performers is that they need to be willing to work for their dreams to come true.
“Keep your intentions clear, don’t focus on numbers, focus on what message you’re trying to put into the universe. Reach out to acting agencies.
“Ask them lots of questions, but most importantly, be the most authentic you and have fun doing it.”
To watch the series, search A Place Called Te Awamutu on YouTube or find Haukatangi Heta on social media.