Māmā

Caravan Carpark Films is excited to present Māmā - the directorial debut of exciting newcomer Kyrah Hetaraka.

LOGLINE

A young Māori girl and her Mother struggle to navigate the impending possibility of their separation, as a custody battle driven by racial bias will ultimately decide their fate.

KAUPAPA

Māmā is an important project that explores the intersection between cultures and class, and the impacts of colonial frameworks on indigenous peoples. It speaks to the universal power of cultural connection, and the yearning for reconnection by those who were robbed of it, whether it be through closed-adoption, faith & state based care, or implicit biases woven throughout our justice system and wider society. 

Set in the late 90’s, Māmā offers a powerful snapshot into this social issue through the innocent eyes of a horse-loving child.

OUR ASK

Māmā was one of six films chosen for the Script to Screen / NZFC Fresh Shorts funding of 15K. This funding has been a great jump-start to our funding journey. It will assist with many things including legals and insurance, crewing and professional equipment hire.

We need your support to raise further funds to help with locations, transport and kai, which are all important to do the story justice and to ensure our cast and crew are looked after. We have a big vision for Māmā and hope to share it with the world. Your contributions will help us achieve the best production value possible, so that our story can shine.

Every donation helps, regardless of the amount it will be appreciated, especially during these challenging times! We're excited to share this journey with you all so don't be shy, you can reach us via our socials and please do, we'd love to hear from and thank you!

OUR TEAM

Writer / Director - Kyrah Hetaraka (Ngātiwai, Ngāpuhi)

Kyrah is a new and exciting creative voice based in Tāmaki Makaurau, who aims to tell intimate and entertaining stories that explore culture, class, identity & desire from an authentic place. Kyrah studied film & script writing at UCLA School of Theatre, Film & Television in LA and has since been back in Aotearoa honing her writing skills, whilst interning in marketing for distribution companies like Vendetta Films for the release of the NZ Film Cousins, and most recently for Madman Entertainment on the release of NZ Documentary James & Isey. Māmā will be her first screenplay, an exciting opportunity to write and direct a personal story.

Angela Cudd - Producer (Ngāti Porou, Te-Whānau-Ā-Apanui, Ngātiwai)

Angela has been working in the NZ film & TV industry for almost a decade and has had the opportunity to support and learn from some of the best film producers in the country including Ainsley Gardiner, Georgina Conder, Kerry Warkia, Reikura Kahi, Selina Joe and Liz DiFiore on projects like Cousins, Muru, Find Me A Māori Bride and most recently One of Us is Lying. Angela's producing credits include the fluent content I Am Waru and Pōtae Pai as well as the narrative series Sextortion (NZ Web Fest Best Show 2020) and Good Grief. Most recently she co-produced the indigenous anthology feature film, “We Are Still Here” alongside Lead NZ Producer Mia Henry-Tierney, which is due for release in 2022. Angela hopes to continue to support indigenous storytellers telling stories that delve into issues of identity, culture and history in an entertaining and uniquely indigenous way – with heart and humour.

Gretchen Hatton - Associate Producer

Gretchen is a Filipino emerging producer with a passion for hard-hitting, high-quality content. Gretchen began her career working in factual content in London, UK. She worked for Discovery’s Animal Planet, Discovery Science and on Sky’s Sky 1 and Sky Witness. Gretchen has turned her focus to narrative content working on the NBC Universal Series One Of Us Is Lying and feature films Muru and We Are Still Here. Through these projects Gretchen discovered a love for narrative filmmaking and local content that tell important cultural stories. Māmā is her first associate producer credit and she is dedicated to helping bring this passion project to life.

Production Company: Caravan Carpark Films (Disconnected [NZIFF] & I Am Waru [Māoriland & Wairoa Māori Film Festival])

If you made it this far, thank-you for your time and consideration. We hope something in this kaupapa or our Māmā whānau resonates with you.

Image Credit: Waterlilies by Celine Sciamma (2007)