Taika Waititi – a New Zealand Filmmaker

When asked about New Zealand cinema most people will name Peter Jackson and The Lord of the Rings, and it is true that these films really put New Zealand on the map. However, more and more people will also mention Taika Waititi, who has established himself as one of the truly great filmmakers from New Zealand.

Waititi’s father is a Māori artist, his mother a schoolteacher of Russian and Jewish descent. Waititi describes himself as a Polynesian Jew, although he has also said that religion did not play a significant role in his childhood or upbringing. Waititi's parents had a great influence on his work: "My father is a visual artist, so I was influenced by him, and my mother is an English teacher who forced me to read a lot of books and poetry and get involved in theatre. I developed a varied taste for different arts."

Waititi has a unique voice and stands out in international cinema today. He often draws on his background from New Zealand in his work. He has said that "We all have to remember that New Zealand is built on these kind of people who are rebels and renegades, people doing it their own way, fighting for freedom, and braving the elements. I think it's cool to celebrate that." However, Waititi does not want to be limited by other people's perception of what a Māori filmmaker should be. "Māori get pigeonholed into the idea they're spiritual and telling stories like Whale Rider and Once Were Warriors, quite serious stuff, but we're pretty funny people, and we never really have had an opportunity to show that side of ourselves, the clumsy, nerdy side of ourselves, which is something I am".

Waititi first gained attention with the short film Two Cars, One Night, which tells the story of two children who meet while waiting in cars outside a pub. The film earned him his first Academy Award nomination.

Building on the attention received for Two Cars, One Night, Waititi went on to direct his first feature film Eagle vs Shark. Since then, his career has taken off. He is perhaps best known for directing the Hollywood blockbuster film Thor: Ragnarok, where he also played the memorable role of Korg, a giant rock monster with a dry sense of humour. Waititi often improvises in the roles he plays, and as a director he encourages the actors to do the same. Waititi has said that around 80% of Thor, Ragnarok was improvised.

Jojo Rabbit is another of Waititi’s films. He wrote the script based on the novel Caging Skies by Christine Leunens. He also directed the film and played one of the central characters. The film tells the story of a boy growing up in Germany during World War II. He is a member of the Hitler Youth and has Hitler as his imaginary friend. At the same time, his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their attic. Waititi plays the imaginary Hitler, who is a uniquely hilarious character. Mixing silly and absurd elements with an emotional and serious subject matter is where Waititi really shines, and audiences love his work because of it.

Waititi has also created several series for TV/streaming. The best known are What We Do in the Shadows, and Reservation Dogs. The first is a comedy series where the supernatural meets real life. Reservation Dogs is set in a Native American reservation and follows the lives of a group of teenagers who dream of leaving the reservation behind for a better life in California. There are plenty of absurd situations, silly characters, and funny dialogue in Reservation Dogs, but also serious real-life challenges, such as suicide, estranged families, crime, and alcoholism.

Waititi’s work often communicates a respect for nature and Indigenous culture. A longing for friendship or belonging is also a common theme. Waititi has said: “In a lot of my films, the main theme is family, making families of those around you”.

Waititi loves his job, and as a leader, he focuses on ensuring that everyone has a positive experience at work. He once said that "I've been on a lot of film sets, and I've always promised myself I wouldn't create a set where people dread coming to work." People who have met Waititi talk about him as someone who is brilliant, funny, energetic, and optimistic.

Waititi's work resonates with audiences around the world, and he gets more and more opportunities to work outside New Zealand. Nevertheless, he continues to see himself as a New Zealand filmmaker: "I've always said that, first and foremost, I make films for New Zealanders. They're my target audience. Then after that, if people appreciate my stories from outside this country, then that's an added bonus."