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TOITŪ​: Visual Sovereignty​

Chelsea Winstanley  •   New Zealand  • ​  2025
101 mins  •  HD  •   Exempt

This new documentary takes us inside the curation of the landmark Toi Tū Toi Ora: Contemporary Māori Art exhibition revealing the ongoing struggle for Māori artistic sovereignty.
 
“An important cinematic document" – RNZ
DIRECTOR: Chelsea Winstanley
PRODUCERS: Desray Armstrong, Chelsea Winstanley

PRODUCTION CO: Sandy Lane Productions, This Too Shall Pass
PHOTOGRAPHY: Mike Jonathan, Darryl Ward
EDITORS: Brendon Chan, Cushla Dillon, Huhana Ruri-Panapa
MUSIC: Maree Sheehan

WITH: Nigel Borell and featured contemporary Māori artists; Shane Cotton, Emily Karaka, Brett Graham, Taika Waititi, Charlotte Graham, Reuben Paterson, Shona Rapira-Davies, Elizabeth Ellis, Mere Lodge, Ani Iti, Maureen Landeer and Mataaho Collective – Sarah Hudson, Terri Te Tau, Erena Baker, Bridget Reweti 

FESTIVALS: NZIFF

REVIEWS

“Toi Tū Toi Ora: Contemporary Māori Art was the largest Māori exhibition in the history of Auckland Art Gallery and attracted attendance levels not seen by the gallery since 1989. But its triumph masked a deeper tension.
Chelsea Winstanley’s documentary follows the journey of curator Nigel Borell as he navigates the constraints between institutional authority and Māori self-determination. Borell’s curatorial vision is clear — Māori art must be authored, not simply advocated for. For the artists, this represents a chance to be seen on their own terms, and is an initiative that ultimately leads some to the global stage of the Venice Biennale.
But as the scale of the exhibition grows, so does the institutional resistance. The result is a reckoning: whose story is being told, and who holds the pen? With many of the artworks exploring the legacy of colonialism, the making of the exhibition itself becomes a living reflection of that very struggle. Laying bare behind-the-scenes conversations rarely seen on screen, TOITŪ Visual Sovereignty lifts the curtain on the inner workings of an institution and examines the cost of visibility without control — and the quiet power of walking away.”

— Heperi Mita, Whānau Mārama NZIFF 2025




FILM SOCIETY SCREENINGS

Nelson  
Wednesday, 15 April, 6.00pm​

Auckland
Monday, 04 May, 6.15pm


Bigger Picture Ōamaru  
Tuesday, 26 May, 7.00pm

​
Queenstown
​Tuesday, 09 June, 8.00pm

New Plymouth 
Wednesday, 17 June, 6.00pm​​

Hamilton   

Monday, 29 June, 6.30pm​

Wellington   
Monday, 06 July, 6.00pm​

Wellington   

Monday, 06 July, 8.30pm

Timaru
Tuesday, 21 July, 6.30pm

Palmerston North   
Wednesday, 12 August, 6.00pm​

NZ FILM >> ​

Film Societies of Aotearoa New Zealand

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New Zealand Federation of Film Societies  |  PO Box 9544, Te Aro, Wellington, NZ  
Phone: +64 4 385 0162  |  Fax: +64 4 801 7304  |  Email: [email protected]
  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • SOCIETIES
    • AUCKLAND
    • HAMILTON
    • TAURANGA
    • NEW PLYMOUTH
    • WHANGANUI
    • PALMERSTON NORTH
    • CARTERTON
    • WELLINGTON
    • NELSON
    • CANTERBURY
    • TIMARU
    • OAMARU
    • QUEENSTOWN
    • DUNEDIN
    • WESTPORT
  • 2026 SEASON
    • MIKHAIL KALATOZOV
    • HONG KONG CLASSICS
    • MUSICAL NOT MUSICAL
    • 70s THRILLERS
    • CONTEMPORARY JAPAN
    • KIWI CINEMA
    • RETRO CLASSICS
    • CULT FAVOURITES
    • FRENCH CONNECTIONS
    • GERMAN CINEMA
    • WORLD CINEMA