could have watched hours more of the archival footage...fascinating story about a powerful woman, beautiful meditation on cinema's personal and historical impact, new zealand history, what it's like to be a child of a radical, and what it's like to finally start to know your parent only after they're gone.

There is no doubting the fierce strength and intelligence that Merata Mita and this doco made by her youngest son, is both an education lesson on her impact on filmmaking not just in Aotearoa but also for indigenous filmmakers across the world. It also brings in a personal story of a Maori woman growing up and making her way in a country that wasn't ready for her forthright views and for someone of such independence.

There's a possibility that a film made by her son will remove some of the dark edges of her life and in a way, you get a sense that there's more story to tell but at the same time, the access to all of Mita's living family might not have been given to anyone else. But this doco is cause for celebration in bringing prominence to one of our country's great artists

Essential viewing. Merata is a revolutionary.

Packs a good amount of history in here but the most resonant thing about this for me is simply the personal story at its centre, a son discovering the extent of his mother's love and sacrifice and compiling a trove of footage to honour her extraordinary and vital work. Also a testament to why we must ensure Indigenous filmmakers can continue to tell their own stories. Beautiful film, shed a few tears.

the most loving documentary i've ever seen. what to even put in a review after something so moving? i had no idea she mentored taika and shaped the script of boy into what it is, one of the films i love most in this world. and of course that just scratches the surface of her talent and influence.

a story about her but a love letter to the power of using film to tell stories. this medium- nothin holds a candle to it, huh. ❤

Malgré le peu de footage de films ou la variété d'entrevues avec Merata Mita, son fils arrive tout de même à ficeler d'une belle manière, mêlant entretien audio, archives vidéo, extraits de films et nouveaux entretiens, le récit de cette femme incroyable qui n'a jamais céder et a toujours combattu, via le cinéma ou des actes politiques, pour le peuple Maori et surtout pour les femmes. On peut facilement la comparer (et le film le fait) à Alanis Obomsawin qui l'a connu avec ses premiers films. Je ne l'avais qu’aperçu comme actrice dans le formidable "Utu" de Geoff Murphy et vaguement entendu parlé d'elle comme réalisatrice mais clairement Merata Mita est une cinéaste et une femme admirable à découvrir.

Really loved this one. I think you could feel how cathartic it was for Hepi to hear his mother’s voice and get to fully understand his family’s impact and tackle these feelings he had about being the youngest and only knowing his mom at her best and that’s all really great but I especially loved just all the talk of Merata’s impact on indigenous cinema. Super cool to hear people talk about how her impact didn’t just reach Māori people or other native Polynesians but spread even so far as making an impact on Sami people that’s so cool. It’s humbling to hear all these people from different nations talk proudly about how she made a meaningful voice for all indigenous voices throughout the world. Plus she told Taika that his first script of Boy was ass and that he needed to add some irreverence so you know she’s powerful.

Marries the personal with the historical like most documentaries can only dream of doing.
Aptly captures a strong Maori wahine and the beautiful whanau that she raised. Sheds light on an important part of NZ film history that most of us have heard of but perhaps did not realize the importance of. Merata's mahi, and the global impact that it has had is an inspiration for all artists hailing from the south pacific.

Touching documentary about Merata Mita, told from the perspective of her son. Wisely foregrounds this as the story of a family. Mita was an uncompromising, insightful filmmaker but one that frequently run afoul of the police. The most powerful moments of this focus on the making of Patu! and the brutal police crackdown on Merata and her family that followed. That film is an incredible statement, but the impact it had on her family has Merata question whether it was worth it. Thorny in a way a documentary like this rarely gets.

Ultimately, a film about loss; Merata's sudden death and the impact it had on her family. Ends on a heartbreaking title card suggesting this family's pain is far from over. But it's also celebrating Merata's triumphant spirit, a brave incredible woman who helped indigenous and female filmmakers find their way to the spotlight.