Why has it taken so long? That s a question I haven t been able to get out of my mind.
Cousins is the third feature film in history to be directed by wāhine Māori. The first was
Mauri by Merata Mita. That was 32 years ago – before I was even born. The second was
Waru in 2017, a feature film made up of eight ten-minute short films written and directed by Māori women filmmakers. I have spent the last ten years telling stories as a writer and journalist, doing my best to decolonise the space I am in, while at the same time advocating for sovereignty over our stories. As Māori, we need more of our stories told, but more importantly, we need to be telling our own stories.