Ngamaru Raerino has died, aged 79. Photo / Supplied
Ngamaru Raerino has died, aged 79. Photo / Supplied
Whale Rider Māori screenwriter, actor and cultural expert, Ngamaru Raerino has died, aged 79.
Of Mātaatua, Te Arawa and Tainui descent, Raerino worked on film and television productions such as Mataku, Shortland Street and Whale Rider.
Raerino established guidelines on Māori culture and language within the film and TV industry,including how to navigate sensitive areas of te ao Māori portrayed on camera.
He previously told Waka Huia that one of his roles as a cultural advisor in film and TV was to educate producers and directors about tikanga Māori, particularly with tangihanga and kangakanga (curse words and insults).
“Even though it’s make-believe, the thing to remember is you are acting as if you are burying someone. When the scene is completed, the grave you excavated for the scene will still be there.
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WHALE RIDER - Paikea ( the whale rider ) pictured on the wharenui at Whangara Marae in the tiny East Coast town of Whangara.
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The movie Whale Rider, which earned a best actress nomination for 14-year-old New Zealander Keish Castle-Hughes, was filmed at the village of Whangara. Tours commence at Whangara, which is a 25 minute drive from Gisborne. Allow approx 2 hours. Ph 06 868 6139.
“The thing that an advisor needs to do is take a stone, direct the last words to the rock and bury it in the grave. Because if you don’t put anything in the grave, that grave will go looking for a body to bury.
“It might even be you - the person who excavated it,” he said.
“Secondly, words that denigrate and belittle. Insults that get thrown at people onscreen. Even though it’s just for TV, you still said it.
