Mita takes pride of place

Maori filmmaker Merata Mita was the star guest at Montreal’s 13th First Peoples’ Festival last month – a celebration of the world’s aboriginal cultures. The Cinematheque Quebecoise held a retrospective of her work – which includes Bastion Point, Mana Waka, and Hotere – from June 14-22. Mita also spoke on the significance of Whale Rider‘s success in the Montreal Gazette: “Events like Whale Rider help in our transformation from self-hatred to pride. [The film] allows us to say that our culture has depth and it has beauty and the resilience to survive all these centuries.”