After the umbilical cord was cut between me and TVNZ, I found myself in a different world.
The world of gigs and odd jobs could not care less about my extensive experience in the spectrum of productions and genres. You were just another person on the other end of someones phone seeking work or a meeting. But I got lucky initially. My first contract actually took place at Avalon studios in Lower Hutt!
A group of Producers had been asked to mentor (“A vile phrase…Mentor is a vile phrase”) young Māori men and women who had been identified as potential Producer/Directors to be trained in a programme titled ‘Kimihia’. Some worked already in Television in various disciplines, and others came from outside the biz mostly from theatre I seem to recall.
The programme had been initiated by Ripeka Evans who had been in a previous incarnation, a political activist engaged with such groups as Nga Tamatoa but was now cultural and personal advisor to Julian Mounter our pommie import for the job of Director-General. That’s quite a shift from a marxist agitator to the confidante of a free marketeer.
Just a bit of background.
So I was a MENTOR. Not a title I felt comfortable with. I know that I am not a good teacher. Teaching is a kind of art form. Some have it in their DNA and some like me just don’t. Too impatient I think. Wanting your charges to succeed so much that you smother them with attention and get too involved in their efforts. Micro managing in other words.
But I mostly managed to contain myself and put the brakes on my hyperactive enthusiasm.
My committment was not in doubt. The idea appealed greatly to me. I had long agitated for more Tangata Whenua in Television.
Of course we have come a long way since then.
Māori Television now leads the pack in the provision of a genuine Public Service Channel whilst the major broadcaster TVNZ wallows in tatty bread and circus programming for the dimmest among us.
The Kimihia group were split up into sub groups of four and the quartet I was assigned to were Rangimoana Taylor, Tina Cooke, Whetu Fala and John Miller. Rangimoana had been on an attachment to The Drama Dept and he would come to the control room to observe when I was directing. We became good friends and I went up to Paikakariki a couple of times with him to visit his two sisters one of whom was Riwia Brown who later on wrote the screenplay for ‘Once Were Warriors’. Riwia also appeared in Mark II as Jim Moriarty’s wife and her children appeared with her as their kids in the play. I had first met Rangimoana years before when I was directing Close To Home and he appeared along with another actor, whose name I have forgotten, as a couple of standover men threatening another character. Something to do with the SIS, you know the spies who became a joke because one had a pie and a Penthouse magazine in his brief case. Hilarious. Those were the days. Vintage New Zealand. We wont see it again. Bring on the clowns.
John Miller was a professional photographer who captured a lot of the history of Nga Tamatoa and recorded much of Māori activism at that time. John was a Marxist I guess and he did not approve of Ripeka cosying up, as he saw it, to the establishment. They had been comrades in arms in the old days. He is still working and still staunch as ever I believe.
Tina Cook was an actor who may have appeared in CTH but not absolutely sure about that. She was a strong feminist actor who had no frills that anyone could see.
Whetu Fala was a video tape operator at Avalon. I knew her as Esther at that time. A strong outspoken woman who is still around. I think she is on the board of Nga Taonga Sound and Vision formerly known as ‘the film archive’. That’s where I worked for the last years of my working life. I alway found Whetu to be somewhat combative and a wee bit intimidating. But I carried on in my usual way and had no problems with her.
A couple of years ago I met Rangimoana in the Cable St supermarket in Wellington. He was looking very distinguished and Kaumatua like. He is at te papa in some sort of senior role. We reminisced as you do but I did not feel the old friendship coming from him. C’est la vie, I guess. Or maybe just Show Business.
Looks like I’m rambling a bit but bear with me if you will.
I am constantly amazed by the way peoples lives intersect. I know about the old cliche of 2 degrees separation and Wellington is such a village in that respect etc etc. but I remain fascinated. It impinges on my life so frequently now. Is it because I am older and know more people? I don’t think so. Anyway, I am not bothered by it just sort of amused.
Well that was a load of old bollocks wouldn’t you say?
Getting back to Kimihia.
The programme lasted for about six weeks or so and our group made a short documentary about ‘Karanga’ with Rangimoana taking the role of director. The subject matter was decided by the students in a consensual way. In spite of being quite outstanding, Rangimoana who was a Drama School Graduate and a very talented person, was not offered any placement at TVNZ probably because the whole enterprise had a fatal flaw. It was another example of a bunch of white guys running a show about Māori affairs. Rangimoana made that point at an early stage in our first meeting with all the students by standing up and denouncing the Kaupapa. What he said in a nutshell was something like, “Here we go again, another bunch of pakeha telling Māori how it was going to be and here are the rules,” He was right of course. Such an endeavour would be ridiculed in these times.
Ripeka was not pleased. I was personally delighted. Our Director-General had fallen into the same old trap that new chums fall into. He probably thought that his ‘liberal’ cred would benefit from his show of support for Māori. Sorry Julian, the dynamic that exists between Māori and pakeha is much more nuanced and complex than that.
I never did figure what Ripeka’s agenda was and I wont offer any opinions.
Anyway, at the end of the course we had a screening of all the work done by the various groups and there was some really good stuff there.
Many of the Kuia and Kaumata attending were utterly stoked at the results but it was small fry compared to the results when Māori gained control of their own broadcasting future.
I enjoyed the experience very much. It was an eye opener to work almost exclusively for about two months with Tangata Whenua and get a glimpse of the Māori ‘way’.
Pakeha ‘mentoring’ Māori is such a farcical idea. Whatever were they thinking of?
When you look at Māori Television today you can plainly see that it’s success is a clear result of indigenous people doing it for themselves through the lens of their own culture, which culture only they alone can truly understand.
Under the New Government, not quite elected yet of course, initiatives like Māori Television may find themselves under threat from the right wing loonies spread throughout National and Act. Māori electorates could follow suit. Act peddle the grotesque idea that such entitities are a form of Apartheid and have no place in New Zealand culture. Is it cynicism or plain stupidity? It is certainly an idea that has wide appeal among the population at large. It is alarming to encounter the amount of racism that is openly expressed in Aotearoa/New Zealand in these times. We should not forget that Don Brash had he gained power was intent on dismantling Māori Television and his party was right behind him.
Do National still think that way today? You bet!
Back when we were doing Kimihia there was a lot of hidden racism throughout the staff in TVNZ. No one would admit to it of course but it was there dressed up in it’s various guises and usually expressed in that casual way which is so obnoxious and damaging.
I personally witnessed the bias and discrimination against Morehu McDonald when he was directing in his early days st Avalon.
Stroppy Māori and arrogant black bastard were among the epithets thrown around behind his back. And what was his sin? Why he had gone into the control room and insisted on things being done his way! Wow! Who would have thought that a director would want to be in charge?
But he was a real tough cookie and never took a step back. Fit for anyone.
Years later when I was running the dubbing facility at the film archive I became good friends with Puhi Rangiaho who became a legend in Television. Puhi told me about the shocking way she was treated in her early days as a trainee director. I was sickened by what she revealed. It was just one put down after another. Crew people openly mocked her pronunciation of technical terms and had a laugh at her expense. She was ridiculed and humiliated. The person who came to her rescue was the late Malcolm Kemp. Malcolm who was head of cameras back in my camera days was a formidable force in the control room. He was partly responsible for Puhi in some sort of supervisory role. Puhi said that Makcolm saved her life and let it be known to others that they would have to reckon with him if the bad behaviour continued. So Puhi stayed and became a legend. She was carrying the mana of her people. Her father John was an outstanding leader in Māoridom. Puhi told me that her father sent two of his daughters into broadcasting and one into medicine. They had little say in the matter. Their ‘mission’ was to take the reo and the Māori cause into the strongholds of the establishment and plant seeds there. Puhi’s work in later years when she began recording the voices and images of Kaumatua, sometimes in the most remote places, is a classic example of captured history and wisdom. I have seen much of it because I digitised for the National Collection. It is all in TVNZ/Nga Taonga Sound and Vision vaults. Don’t know what the public access is like. Most Māori material is very closely protected by the Kaitiaki of the archive. Puhi had access to Kaumatua which no pakeha could ever expect to attain. Merata Mita of course was doing much the same thing with her work.
Those fools who tortured Puhi and others had no idea who they were dealing with.
How unutterably sad for our country and it’s history.
Malcolm was a strong character. We were good friends for many years and it did not surprise me to hear of his support for Puhi. He always had a good heart and was a loyal friend. But like most so called tough guys he kept that part of him mostly to himself.
Rest in peace Puhi and Malcolm it was an honour to call you friend.
So my dear friends, beware of the new political landscape. It is becoming more and more fascist/right wing. If we think that the tale of Puhi and Morehu is a thing of the past, then think again. Complacency could be your undoing. The enemy is at the gate, or at least, approaching it.
On a slightly ‘cheerier’ note.
I attended my post op clinic yesterday and had the old dressings and STAPLES removed from my scalp. Jeez it was painful but a small price to pay for getting those horrible things off my head. The nurse was excellent. Very considerate and sensitive. The procedure took 90 minutes. Some of those staples were stubborn and did not want to come out. My skin grafts look like they have taken very well. Boy I am stoked….but a bit balder than before.😂
Next time……..see you.
Yes, Dan I can recall some of the racism but not nearly to the extent you mention. Such horrible attitudes from people you thought you liked and respected. Incidentally, I was very fond of Malcolm as well. He was directing my first gig as a floor manager with the NZSO and was unable to hide his kind side from me! I'd say I loved him actually. Also incidentally, the television assistant scheme had what may have been a slightly unofficial plan for more Maori and Pasifika TVAs - don't know if it was David Hendry's idea or not but I gave him credit for it at his farewell. We got some great kids through the 'plan' - the late lamented Joe Von being one. What a great read - keep up the great work!
Go well, good man.