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 >> ​