Movies and TvShows featuring "maori-tradition" theme.

Once Were Warriors follows the story of a Maori family living in New Zealand, dealing with poverty, domestic violence, and the influence of youth gangs. It explores themes of loss, despair, and the strength of the individual in the face of adversity.

Whale Rider is a story of a young Maori girl named Paikea, who fights against the patriarchal traditions of her tribe to prove that she is worthy of becoming the chief. Despite facing opposition from her grandfather and other members of the community, Paikea shows her leadership skills and connection with nature. With the help of a stranded whale, she ultimately earns the respect of her people and fulfills her destiny.

When an academic unearths a forgotten history, residents of the small township of Pukekohe, including kaumātua who have never told their personal stories before, confront its deep and dark racist past.

The Pa Boys is an energetic, uplifting road movie capturing the best of New Zealand's culture, beauty, talent and music, whilst exploring themes of identity, friendship and discovering your roots.

Aroha depicts a young Māori chief's daughter who embraces the modernity of the Pākehā world (attending university in Wellington) while confronting her place with her own people (Te Arawa) and traditions at home. The NFU-produced dramatisation is didactic but largely sensitive in making Aroha's story represent contemporary Māori dilemmas (noted anthropologist Ernest Beaglehole was the cultural advisor). Watch out for some musical treats, including an instrumental version of classic Kiwi song, 'Blue Smoke' and a performance of the action song 'Me He Manu Rere'.

This 1972 documentary explores the world of a dying generation of Māori female elders or kuia — “the last of the Māori women with tattooed chins”. Narrator Selwyn Muru extols the place of the kuia in Māori culture, and of wahine tā moko. Among those on screen are 105-year old Ngahuia Hona, who cooks in hot pools, rolls a cigarette, and eats with whānau, and “the oldest Māori” Nga Kahikatea Wirihana, who remembers the Battle of Ōrākau during the land wars, and has outlived four husbands. Into Antiquity was an early documentary from veteran Wayne Tourell.

The film told the Māori legend of Hinemoa and Tutanekai. It is the first dramatic feature film produced in New Zealand.