Douglas Brooks is a descendant of the indigenous New Zealand tribes of Te Ati Haunui-a-Pāpārangi, Ngāti Kahungunu, and Ngāti Tūwharetoa. In their tradition, whakapapa, or the line of ancestors is important knowledge to keep, so he also draws on the wisdom of grandparents who immigrated from Cold War Austria for New Zealand in the 1950s. Through the turbulent history experienced by his ancestors, Brooks feels compelled to be a reconciliatory voice of balance and mutual respect learned from weighing the past and moving forward with the lessons it teaches.
Douglas Brooks’ journey into directing has grown from his lifetime experience as an actor and his fascination with the responsible exploration of powerful emotion. Acutely aware of how actors arrive at genuine expression of emotion, his aim on set is to create an atmosphere where they are safe and empowered to explore and express the story.
Most recently, he has written and directed Kōkako, which won Fresh Start funding from the New Zealand Film Commission. With writer Maza White, he is co-director of Maryam, which won Best Drama at the Top Shorts Film Festival and is screening on the Rialto Channel. He is assistant director of the multi-award wining feature film Blue Moon, which was shot entirely on an iPhone.
Brooks lives with his family in Nelson, on a former farm he is regenerating into indigenous forest to restore the natural ecology and bird life to the land. He teaches and is working towards his first feature film.
