Jason Momoa stars in the new series Chief of War, being filmed in New Zealand. Photo / Apple TV
Yet another blow has been dealt to the people of Te Tai Tokerau as filming for Jason Momoa’s Yenedakine: Chief of War has been pulled from another location, despite months of preparation.
Filming was pulled from a location at Kauri Mountain at Whangārei Heads with no explanation earlier this year, and Elliot Bay, located in Rāwhiti, is now the second location where this had occurred.
The area was to feature as a village in Kawaihae, Hawaii during the 18th century, with the filming period reportedly having been expected to last around three months.
The Northern Advocate understands numerous jobs were on offer to locals in construction and acting, and accommodation in Russell had been heavily booked for the period of filming.
An anonymous source told the Advocate locals have lost out on an “awful lot” of work, have “expressed extreme disappointment” and want to know what happened.
“This place, since the year dot, has been an economic backwater,” the source said. “It would be nice to see economic activity, and I thought this was a great opportunity. Not just for this particular job, but it had every chance of creating a reputation amongst the filming community.”
The source said they were told by another individual the location manager lamented over the difficulties faced when organising the location, and he believed that “in his 35 years of negotiating access”, this was his “worst experience”.
Elliot Bay is independently owned by Ipipiri Nature Conservancy Trust, which was established in a bid to continue to provide public access and restore the site, which is of historical and spiritual significance.
Though it is not yet known what caused filming to be cancelled, Ipipiri Nature Conservancy trustee Chris Mace reached out to discuss the issue.
Mace said the trust was “very supportive” of the plans to film Yenedakine: Chief of War at the location.
He said much had to be done in order to ensure “full respect” was given to the property’s historical and spiritual significance, and believed “all of the ‘I’s had been dotted and ‘T’s crossed.”
“A significant amount of work had already gone in,” he said. “Fences had been relocated and the campground remained empty for the [proposed] period of filming.”
“We had pulled together the appropriate understandings in the form of contracts to cover off the obligations we had as the owners of the property,” he said.
Locals were reportedly “very excited” about the prospect of filming and anticipation was building when it was suddenly pulled in March without explanation.
Mace said his assumption was that filming was pulled “based on elements like the storms”.
Cyclone Gabrielle had hammered the region in early February, which was around when filming was due to start.
The Northern Advocate has contacted various locals who were set to be involved in the project. However, they were bound by non-disclosure agreements. Accommodation providers were unwilling to comment.
Mace said those responsible for pulling the plan together were “devastated” by the decision to leave.
“To the very best of my knowledge, the location manager tried everything to ensure that the plans went ahead,” he said.
“It was obvious that the site really suited what they were trying to achieve,“ he said. “This was just the perfect property to get the impact that they were looking for.”
Plans obtained by the Advocate show 41 free-standing structures were to be erected on-site, made out of kānuka and with eucalyptus frames with thatching. Four structures with driven poles and the same frames and thatching were also to be erected, as well as two free-standing bridges.
Fences had been moved and buildings on-site were to be disguised as village buildings. A farm track had also been upgraded to allow for ease of access. Construction had reportedly begun on a carpark which was to hold around 500 vehicles.
The Advocate received reports from its source saying they’d also heard iwi had allegedly requested for the production to fund a seawall to prevent further erosion at the Bay, despite it not filming in the area of the proposed seawall.
It is not known whether this was true.
Elliot Bay has been known as a place where skeletal remains have been revealed over the years, particularly as coastal erosion occurs. The area is of significant cultural and spiritual importance.
Resource consent was applied for by the film production and approved by Far North District Council (FNDC) in November last year after FNDC confirmed the proposal would not have “adverse effects” on the environment and “no affected persons and no special circumstances exist”.
A second resource consent was accepted in January by Northland Regional Council. FNDC’s resource consent was also sent to the relevant iwi and hapū groups.
The news of filming went public when Momoa and members of the production crew attended a pōwhiri at Te Rāwhiti Marae in October last year.
Since filming was pulled, casting scouts have been posting on Facebook searching for extras in the Coromandel area. It’s unknown whether these locations are to replace Elliot Bay.
The Advocate has reached out to the location manager for Yenedakine: Chief of War and the relevant hapū and Iwi groups for comment, though it has not received a reply.
The Northern Advocate requested a response under the Official Information Act from the Department of Conservation (DoC) when the issue of filming ceasing at Kauri Mountain first came to light.
A reply has shed further light on how the issue was managed behind closed doors.
In response to a filming application from the film production for Yenedakine: Chief of War, DoC consulted with Ngātiwai Trust Board, which noted some concerns around wāhi tapu [sacred sites] and the number of visitors for the filming they were managing directly with the production company.
“Taking iwi perspectives into consideration, a concession was granted to the filming company for use of the location,” the Department said.
DoC said Te Waiariki/Ngāti Kororā/Ngāti Takapari Hapū Iwi Trust then made their position around filming known to DoC through a memorandum.
A copy of the memorandum obtained by the Advocate outlined that it would be inappropriate for the filming of Yenedakine: Chief of War to take place on Kauri Mountain, notably due to the land’s “immense cultural significance”, referring to things such as the mountain being home to several pā, with filming to take place on each.
The memorandum also highlighted that Ngātiwai Trust Board had failed to reach out to Te Waiariki/Ngāti Kororā/Ngāti Takapari Hapū Iwi Trust for consultation before the filming application was accepted.
The memorandum stated DoC received a letter of intent from Te Waiariki/Ngāti Kororā/Ngāti Takapari Hapū Iwi Trust two months prior to the filming application that outlined details of their area, including “contract specifics for any resource consents or consents requiring within our rohe”.
DoC was accused of “gross negligence” when not consulting with the Hapū Iwi Trust. The department did not comment on this accusation.
A meeting then occurred at DoC’s Whangārei office in early April between Te Waiariki/Ngāti Kororā/Ngāti Takapari Hapū Iwi Trust and DoC.
“The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the concession and to form a working relationship,” the Department said.
The film company then called DoC on April 19 and discussed the concession and their withdrawal from filming. A follow-up email was sent the following day which officially withdrew them from the concession.
A monthly recap on Te Waiariki/Ngāti Kororā/Ngāti Takapari Hapū Iwi Trust Facebook page posted on May 1 stated a highlight of the previous month was that “filming on our significant cultural site Maunga Nukurangi has ceased”.
It is still unknown whether correspondence occurred between the film production and the Hapū Iwi Trust, and whether that resulted in the cease of filming.
Efforts to contact the relevant parties have so far been unsuccessful.