Chilean Culture Captures the Hearts of Maori Youth

Chilean Culture Captures the Hearts of Maori Youth – on Maori Television!

Just weeks following a serious earthquake in Chile, participants in Maori Television’s travel documentary series KIA ORA HOLA, set to premiere on Friday March 12 at 9.30 PM, are sending their best wishes to their host community.

KIA ORA HOLA, filmed late last year, follows six teenagers from Maori language schools as they immerse in Chilean culture, live with host families, and go to school at the Chilean Montessori school, Colegio Pucalan.

Producer George Andrews says that both crew and a number of students made strong connections during their stay, and have made contact with their host school and whanau. The people they met are reported to be safe and well.

The format for the show takes its lead from KIA ORA NI HAO, which followed a group of secondary students that travelled to Beijing back in 2008.

KIA ORA HOLA offers a first-hand experience of these students’ journeys, through the video diaries.

Andrews says: “The students use the diaries to share all their adventures at school, in their family homes, where they stay with students their own age, as well as on their travels around Santiago.”

Nominated from their Maori language schools Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Ruamata and Te Kura o Te Koutu, the students are proud ambassadors of Rotorua. Shot during spring time in Chile, KIA ORA HOLA shows the country at its best, both seasonally and culturally.

To add to the colour of their exploration, the students get to celebrate their school’s tenth anniversary as well as the country’s Independence Day, Dieciocho.

The students also discover the existing relationships with the one of the indigenous groups of Chile, the Mapuche, and with the Rapanui community in Santiago.

Because of the students’ skill with te reo and tikanga, KIA ORA HOLA sees them sharing what they know too, including te reo, waiata Maori, and the students' tribal stories.
Andrews says: “The fact that none of the students want to go home at the end of the three weeks is testimony that this is no ordinary magazine show, but one that could only be made by young Maori through fresh eyes, making it a pleasure to watch. The journey has basically given them indelible memories that they will cherish for the rest of their lives.”

KIA ORA HOLA episodes as follows:

EPISODE 1, FRIDAY MARCH 12 at 9.30 PM
Meet the six students: Matatia Tupara Brell, Okeroa Douglas, Te Amorangi Rikirangi-Thomas, Te Miringa Sherman, Tanawhea Whauwhau and Te Wehi o Mahuru Wright. We follow them to Santiago, Chile where they meet their host families for the first time.

EPISODE 2, FRIDAY MARCH 19 at 9.30 PM
The students share their first waking moments in their new homes. They also attend a big welcome at the host school Colegio Pucalan.

EPISODE 3, FRIDAY MARCH 26 at 9.30 PM
Te Wehi and Okeroa learn about Chilean sports while Te Amorangi and Tanawhea sample the different cuisine Chile has to offer. They end up taking a day trip together to the Pacific port of Valparaiso.

EPISODE 4, FRIDAY APRIL 2 at 9.30 PM
Te Wehi and Okeroa meet street entertainers as well as visit a public school and a number of places in Santiago that tourists don’t often get to see. Matatia and Te Miringa discover how important religion is in Chile. And all the students take a sightseeing bike ride around Santiago.

EPISODE 5, FRIDAY APRIL 9 at 9.30 PM
Tanawhea amd Te Amorangi visit a Mapuche centre and meet someone from the Rapanui community in Santiago. Te Miringa makes the most of her visit to Santiago famous Opera House, singing a Maori waiata. Everyone goes skiing in the Andes.

EPISODE 6, FRIDAY APRIL 16 at 9.30 PM
The students join in the performance competitions as their host school Colegio Pucalan celebrates its tenth birthday. Three weeks seem to have flown past. There are lots of fond and tearful farewells as new friends promise to meet again soon.

ENDS

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