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Tasks: Taika Waititi – a New Zealand Filmmaker

Quiz:

What do you remember about Taika Waititi's work?

Research:

Choose a film by a New Zealand filmmaker, and make a presentation about it.

Your presentation should include:

  • a summary of the plot

  • a short description of the main characters and the actors who play them

  • a short presentation of the director and their New Zealand background

  • your personal opinion of the work

  • a discussion about whether the filmmaker's New Zealand heritage influenced the film in any way

Suggested films and directors:

If you know of another film by a New Zealand film director, you may study that instead.

  • Whale Rider directed by Niko Caro

  • Savage directed by Sam Kelly

  • The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring directed by Peter Jackson

  • Thor: Ragnarok directed by Taika Waititi

  • Once Were Warriors directed by Warren Lee Tamahor

(You will find the following films on NDLA: Whale Rider (English SF/YF) and Savage (English 2).)

Watch:

In 2021, Taika Waititi was the voice of Ralph in the animated short film Save Ralph which was made for the Humane Society. The film is a mock-documentary about the life of a rabbit that is used for cosmetic testing.

You can find the film by following the link, or by making an online search.

Link to the short film Save Ralph on the Humane Society International's website

Watch the film before discussing the questions with a partner. Write down shared answers.

  1. What is the message of the film?

  2. What devices are used to convey this message? (E.g. humour, satire, anthropomorphism.) What is achieved by using these devices?

  3. Did you perceive the film as humorous? Why / why not?

  4. Has the film influenced your view of cosmetic testing in the beauty industry in any way?

Write:

Choose a serious topic that many people are concerned about. Write a humorous story about this topic. You could write a short story, a personal essay, or a script for a short film.

Group work:

Rugby is the national sport in New Zealand, and their national team, The All Blacks, is immensely popular.

Work together on the following tasks:

  1. What are the rules of rugby?

  2. Rugby has many similarities to American football – what are the main differences?

  3. Discuss: would you like to play rugby in PE? Why / why not?

Note that there is a difference between rugby league and rugby union. rugby union is most popular in New Zealand, where it is known simply as rugby.

To learn the rules, you can do an online search or visit the following links:

Bonus tasks:

  • After having learnt the rules of the game, find a clip from a rugby match and make your own commentary.

  • Show the clip and perform your commentary for another group.

Photo: We see men dressed in black shirts and shorts thrusting their pelvises while making threatening arm movements.
The All Blacks often perform a Maori war dance called the Haka before matches.. Govva: Domenico Cippitelli, IPA / CC BY-NC 4.0

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