Private Project

Tū Patu Whenua (One who beats the Ground)

Before Gandhi, before Parihaka, before Whina Cooper, before Bastion Point, and before Ihumātao there was Te Heke Omarama O Te Wai Pounamu in 1877. In an act of passive resistance, Waitaha chief Hipa Te Maiharoa led his people on a long trek up the Waitaki Valley to claim land that he contended had not been sold to the Crown as part of The Kemp Deed. Te Maihaora and his people lived in the small settlement they established at Te Ao Mārama in the upper Waitaki Valley. But after two years, the government declared that Waitaha were illegal squatters and the constabulary evicted them from their homes and burned the settlement. In the midst of a freezing winter, they were forced to retreat back down the Valley to Korotuaheka at the mouth of the mighty Waitaki River. So cold was that winter that the river was frozen solid. This epic fight for land continues as part of the ongoing struggle by Waitaha for recognition as a independant Iwi separate from the more recent occupying warrior tribe Ngai Tahu from the North Island. The documentary Tū Patu Whenua records the battle by the Waitaha people to retain kaitiakitanga, or guardianship, of Te Wai Pounamu. The film centres on the words of the late, last male Upoko of Waitaha, Rangimarie Te Maiharoa, and his descendants. The impact on Waitaha people of the unyielding and inhuman response by the Waitangi Tribunal to their claim also features. These stories are set against the backdrop of Te Wai Pounamu’s landscapes and unique birdlife.

  • Bronwyn Ann-Louise Judge
    Director
    The Nature of Courage, Peace and Love in Africa
  • Ramonda - Te Maiharoa
    Director
    Anahera
  • Rangimarie Te Maiharoa
    Writer
  • Anne Te Maiharoa
    Writer
  • Kelli Te Maiharoa
    Writer
  • Ramonda Te Maiharoa
    Writer
  • Taare Te Maiharoa
    Writer
  • Waitaha Tai Whenua O Waitaki - -
    Producer
    Tohu
  • Bronwyn Judge
    Producer
  • Ramonda Te Maiharoa
    Key Cast
    "narrator"
  • Alan Rakiraki
    Key Cast
    "narrator"
  • Kelli Te Maiharoa
    Key Cast
    "herself"
  • Anne Te Maiharoa
    Key Cast
    "herself"
  • Rangimarie Te Maiharoa
    Key Cast
    "himself"
  • Gillian Karawe Whitehead
    Key credits
    composer
  • Richard Nunns
    Key credits
    ancient maori instruments
  • Rua Pick
    Key credits
    maori instruments
  • Ana Good
    Key credits
    singer
  • Ramonda Taleni
    Key credits
    Singer
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Tū Patu Whenua
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Genres:
    History, Environmental
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 10 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    September 1, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    10,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    New Zealand
  • Country of Filming:
    New Zealand
  • Language:
    English, Maori
  • Shooting Format:
    AVCHD
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • n/a
Distribution Information
  • Waitaha Tai Whenua O Waitaki Trust Inc.,
    Distributor
    Country: New Zealand
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Bronwyn Ann-Louise Judge, Ramonda - Te Maiharoa

Ramonda Te Maiharoa
Bronwyn Judge
living in Moeraki and Katigi, Aotearoa-New Zealand

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Tū Patu Whenua is the first collaborative film project created by Bronwyn Judge and Ramonda Te Maiharoa.
Ramonda has written scripts for three short films with themes and stories reflecting her Maori culture. They are "A Time for Fishing", "Anahera" and her third short film "The Secondhand Shop" is being edited at present.
"I have spent the majority of my life in Australia working as a painter and writer and mounting solo sculpture exhibitions. I was fundamental to organising “Following the Fence line” which is an organisation for women with breast cancer. We toured Australia on motorbikes and sailed down the Murray River for a 1000 km. These events were filmed and shown in Sydney and on ABC TV. I also built a 36 foot catamaran like my Maori sailing ancestors and sailed out of Darwin down the East Coast of Australia. At various times I returned to NZ to mount solo exhibitions of my artwork.
Five years ago I retired to my ancestral lands at Moeraki, Te Waipounamu and started scriptwriting and producing short films I also played flute music for the soundcapes of my films and in Tū Patu Whenua I take on the role of narrator as it is my story to tell."
Since completing a digital film course at the Southern Institute of Technology of New Zealand Bronwyn Judge has created numerous short films and two feature documentaries "The Nature of Courage" and "Peace and Love in Africa".
Having more than twenty years experience in film making she has supported and encouraged Ramonda to make a film about her Whanau and Iwi, ie family and tribe, and their struggle to gain recognition as a separate, independent iwi affirming their identity.
The indigenous composer Dame Gillian Karawe Whitehead is responsible for the soundscape sung by the two indigenous voices of Ana Good and Ramonda Taleni.