Whanganui Chronicle
  • Whanganui Chronicle home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Taranaki
  • National Park
  • Whakapapa
  • Ohakune
  • Raetihi
  • Taihape
  • Marton
  • Feilding
  • Palmerston North

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • New Plymouth
  • Whanganui
  • Palmertson North
  • Levin

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Whanganui Chronicle

Whanganui filmmaker captures international attention in Cannes with local image

Liz Wylie
By Liz Wylie
Multimedia Journalist, Whanganui Chronicle·Whanganui Chronicle·
23 May, 2022 05:00 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Actors Edmund Eramiha (standing) and Scotty Cotter in a scene filmed at the Bason Botanic Gardens in Whanganui. Photo / Bruce Mackay

Actors Edmund Eramiha (standing) and Scotty Cotter in a scene filmed at the Bason Botanic Gardens in Whanganui. Photo / Bruce Mackay

Whanganui filmmaker Whetū Fala is thrilled that a still from her upcoming documentary has a prominent place at the Marche du Film in Cannes, France.

Fala has been filming Taki Rua: Breaking Barriers at the Bason Botanic Gardens at Rapanui with funding from the New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC) and the still photo of New Zealand actors Edmund Eramiha (Vegas) and Scotty Cotter (Shortland St) caught the attention of organisers in Cannes.

"It was selected for the NZFC Cannes booklet and as a banner In the NZFC's office in Cannes," Fala said.

"When Selina Joe, fellow producer, and I got the word our still by photographer Bruce Mackay had been chosen we were like, it's a Mātāriki dream come true. I wanted an image that was immediately recognisable as coming from Aotearoa. "

Fala was one of a troupe of talented young performers to join New Zealand's first unofficial bicultural theatre, Taki Rua Theatre in Wellington, in the 1980s.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Based back in her hometown Whanganui she founded her production company, Fala Media, and the 90-minute documentary tells the story of Taki Rua's beginnings.

"In 1984, the Labour Government called artists to Parliament to share ideas about how to tell our stories," she said.

The theatre company is still thriving 40 years later and Fala said Eramiha and Cotter are part of the next generation to develop their talents with Taki Rua and go on to become directors and producers themselves.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Working around Covid-19 meant filming was done in Whanganui rather than Wellington and Fala said that worked out well because she was able to use local talent, including costume artists Lee Williams and Alex Faulkner, who had both worked for Weta productions and now live locally.

"My co-director Christina Asher [from Kai-iwi and Ratana] and I found it so awesome to be filming at home with whānau and local crew support. We were rapt our kaumatua Paul and Marcia Williams, Mary Wakefield and Piki Waretini finally got to see what we do as filmmakers after all these years," she said.

"We are also grateful to Jasmin McSweeney, head of marketing at NZFC, for this opportunity to promote our local story internationally."

Fala said Bason Botanic Gardens was the perfect location for the drama vignettes and now an international audience can appreciate its beauty.

Discover more

Castlecliff house 'extensively damaged' in fire

23 May 09:00 PM

"Thanks to Terry Dowdeswell Bason Botanic Trust chairman, Wendy Bainbridge of Whanganui District Council, and Emma Bugden at Film Whanganui, for all their support."

The film is due to be completed next year, with a release date yet to be confirmed.

Save
    Share this article

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Whanganui Chronicle

'Just about perfection': Top dog scores 99.5 at Tux Yarding Challenge

Whanganui Chronicle

'Let's be brave': Rangitīkei to apply for plan stop exemption

Whanganui Chronicle

Council candidate wants to be 'leader in the community'


Sponsored

NZ’s convenience icon turns 35

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

'Just about perfection': Top dog scores 99.5 at Tux Yarding Challenge
Whanganui Chronicle

'Just about perfection': Top dog scores 99.5 at Tux Yarding Challenge

Waikato's Leo Jacentho and Zap scored top marks in the Tux Yarding Challenge at Ōhingaiti.

02 Sep 11:44 PM
'Let's be brave': Rangitīkei to apply for plan stop exemption
Whanganui Chronicle

'Let's be brave': Rangitīkei to apply for plan stop exemption

02 Sep 06:30 PM
Council candidate wants to be 'leader in the community'
Whanganui Chronicle

Council candidate wants to be 'leader in the community'

02 Sep 05:00 PM


NZ’s convenience icon turns 35
Sponsored

NZ’s convenience icon turns 35

02 Sep 09:23 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Whanganui Chronicle e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Whanganui Chronicle
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP