Pākehā

Eddie Page Productions & Mana Hira Davis have joined forces to bring you the short film, Pākehā. Pākehā is a short story inspired by the true life events of writer/director Mana Hira Davis. The creation of this project will bring together the local Bay of Plenty creative community, rangatahi and mentors.

Logline

A young pākehā mother's determination to learn Te Reo Māori to connect her son with his whakapapa, exposes her struggles, resilience and courage to confront her personal demons.

The World

Pākehā is a film set in 1982, New Zealand. A time when the country was undergoing significant cultural shifts. The world is richly textured with the sights and sounds of this era, blending the traditional Māori culture with the pervasive influence of Western society. The tone is both sombre and hopeful, capturing the raw realities of one woman's domestic life while celebrating her strength and resilience to honour her son's cultural identity.

 

The film explores themes of cultural reconciliation, mental health, and the power of aroha in overcoming obstacles.

Why are we telling this story? From the Director

Pākehā is about healing the hurt. It's about letting go the idea of race and celebrating ourselves as human beings, uniting us all as children of Papatuanuku and Ranginui.

Based on true events, the inspiration for this story struck me at the Rotorua Film Festival in 2023, while watching indigenous short films from Australia and Aotearoa. The powerful stories about the effects of colonisation resonated deeply with me.

The story of my own upbringing kept coming to mind, moving me so much that I had to leave the main theatre, ducked into the foyer and began writing about my mother's journey living with her husband's mental illness and her experience with learning Te Reo Māori as a Pākehā, in the early 1980's.

The characters are based on the images and feelings I had as a young boy.

"My hope with this film is to show the beauty and resurgence of Te Reo Māori in the 1980's. The time was new, exciting and yet scary for many to learn or relearn their native language. I want this film to remind us that love connects us to everything."

 

Lastly, Pākehā is honouring my mother for all she has done for me, the initial title for this short film was called... Thank you mum x

CREW

Writer / Director: Mana Hira Davis
Producer: Larissa Allen, Sarah Oemcke & Melissa Mae
Director of Photography/Camera Op: Grant McKinnon
Camera Assist/Focus Puller: Rayne Mokaraka
2nd Camera / Behind the Scenes / Stills: Theresa Barnes
1st Assistant Director: Melissa Mae
Script Supervisor: Sarah Oemcke
Editor: TBC
Art Director: Jannine Spiers
Art Assist: Isaac Bishop
Make-up / Hair HOD: Sara Fitzell
Make-up assist: Elsa Alexander 
Hair Assist: Jason Davies
Wardrobe: Kerry Funnell
Sound: Robert Pendergrast
Gaffer/Grip: Michael Lefebvre
Intimacy Coordinator: TBC
Cultural Consultant: Leah Mikaere
Production Assistant: Louis Alexander
Production Assistant/Art Assist: Sequoia Trass
Unit Manager: Linda Campbell

CAST

Catherine : Larissa Allen
Eddie : Jade Daniels
Tama : Carter Downey
Tungia : Jerrie-Lee Ngareta Hill
Kaiako : Kahurangi Poa
Susan : Claudette Kora
Sophie : Mihi TeHau
Puti : Kelly Egan
Sarah : Sarah Webb
Student : Camille Houia
Student : Sarah Teki
Student : Mariana Morrison

This is an ALL OR NOTHING campaign so if we don't reach our goal, we don't get anything, and your money will be refunded!

Any donation, big or small will get us one step closer to making this project a reality. $1, $5, $10, $20, $1000 - they are all welcome and appreciated.

Every person who donates will get a special thanks in the film's credits. This can include business names & logos. You can also donate anonymously if you prefer.

If you’re a New Zealand income earner or business, you are eligible for a 33% tax credit on donations. Donations can be made using Visa, Mastercard, or American Express and are securely held by The Arts Foundation until the minimum target is met.

We understand times are tough, and if a donation is out of reach for you, sharing our project on social media so it can be seen by lots of people, would be a huge help!

Our first goal of raising $8,000 will allow us to:

• Remuneration for the cast & crew, who are already working at highly reduced rates
• Remuneration for our rangatahi interns who will be learning from experienced creatives in areas of production, art direction and camera.
• Catering so we can feed our team well over the 2 day shoot (7 & 8 December)
• Cost for epic 80s inspired set/costumes/props

Our stretch goal of $13,000 will allow us to finish the film with professional audio post & colour grade as well as help us put together marketing & PR for the national and international film festival circuit.

THANKS

A big thank you to ImageZone for sponsoring the camera equipment for the making of this film.
 

Thank you to Western Bay of Plenty Creative Communities Scheme for their contribution to the making of this film. Their support is helping to fund part of our mentorship programme of some local rangatahi interested in making a career out of filmmaking.
 

To our donators: Thank you so much for your support of this project. It truly means the world to us and we look forward to sharing the film with you soon.