Film maker Paora Joseph pictured here with Andrei Jewell. Photo / NZME.
Film maker Paora Joseph pictured here with Andrei Jewell. Photo / NZME.
Film director Paora Joseph arrives in Wanganui tomorrow with families on a one-week bus trip to help heal the pain of suicide.
Mr Joseph has family links with both Putiki and Kaiwhaiki. He made the films Tatarakihi: The Children of Parihaka, and Te Awa Tupua: Voices of the River.
He'salso a psychologist and worked for Good Health Wanganui for 18 months around 2000, as a clinical psychologist. He now lives in Auckland.
In his latest venture, he's combining his psychology and film-making skills in a new documentary drama produced by Kura Productions. In it, five families affected by suicide go from marae to marae by bus, attending wananga (learning sessions). They share their stories and struggles with other families from their own areas. The film is to be called Maui's Hook. The bus started at Parihaka yesterday. It arrives at Putiki Marae today and leaves on Monday. After that it travels to marae at Rotorua, Auckland and Whangarei/Te Kao.
It's journey ends on Friday at Cape Reinga, where spirits are said to depart, with karanga, waiata and karakia.
The aim of the film is to provoke social change, dispel myths about suicide, alleviate stigma and reduce suicide statistics, Mr Joseph said. In New Zealand around 500 people commit suicide every year, with a high rate for Maori, and especially Maori youth. The film also aims to raise awareness and encourage wider discussion. According to the Mental Health Foundation stories about people who feel suicidal but overcome it and talk about being well reduce the number of people who take their own lives.
