Taratoa is currently finishing his first feature, MĀRAMA, a Māori gothic horror set in Victorian England, 1859. MĀRAMA received early development funding from the B.F.I., the project was selected for the 2020 imagineNATIVE Indigenous Screenwriting Intensive (supported by Netflix), the 2021 T.I.F.F. Writers' Studio, the inaugural 'Black List New Zealand Project' - and it has received two rounds of development funding from the New Zealand Film Commission. Taratoa was selected to participate with MĀRAMA in the Zurich Film Festival 'Academy' programme and the 2023 Berlinale Co-Production Market.

He has directed seven short films, screening in festivals including Angers Premier Plans, Aspen Shortsfest, BFI London, Busan, Edinburgh, Encounters and Māoriland, as well as being broadcast on BBC2, BBC3, Film4 and Canal+.

In 2021 he wrote and directed a half-hour film, TAUMANU (Reclaim) in Aotearoa New Zealand.

He is also developing a feature-length adaptation of his short film EMKHATSINI, an alternate afterlife road trip movie to be shot in the Kingdom of Eswatini (aka Swaziland) and Mozambique. He was awarded the 'Final Draft' Fellowship grant to participate with EMKHATSINI in the 'Stowe Story Labs' 2022 Writers' Retreat in Cambria, California.

Taratoa was born in Aotearoa NEw Zealand. He is Māori (Ngāti Toa, Ngāti Raukawa me Ngāti Tūwharetoa) and English. He lives between London and Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland - and he speaks German and French.