Kairākau 4: The Rise Of Tūwhakairiora – On Whakaata Māori & Māori+

In 16th century Aotearoa, long before Pākehā landed on these shores, a boy was born to fulfill a prophecy of vengeance that would spell doom for many and forever change the face of Te Tāirāwhiti.

The story of Tūwhakairiora and his life’s mission to avenge the murder of his grandfather is the subject of KAIRĀKAU 4, premiering 9.00PM Thursday 19 September.

Velvet Stone Media’s Lara Northcroft, producer of Kairākau 4 says she was stoked when Maruia Jensen agreed to be one of the directors on the series.

“It’s important to have whakapapa connections to the Kairākau kaupapa where possible and, being a writer of the series, Maruia knew the story better than most – a valuable asset on set for cast and crew,” says Lara Northcroft.

Writer and director Maruia Jensen (Te Whānau a Tūwhakairiora, Ngāti Rēhia) grew up with the story of Tūwhakairiora and likens the internecine warfare of 16th century Tairāwhiti to a Māori Game of Thrones.

“The battles themselves were legendary, but so too were the alliances forged between hapu,” says Maruia Jensen.

“I want the audience to feel like they’ve been transported back in time and witness first-hand how our ancestors not only survived but thrived. I want them to be captivated – like I was – by the extreme heartache and joy that our characters had to endure.”

“Most importantly I want the audience to admire and be inspired by the heroes that helped shape our history,” says Maruia Jensen.

Showrunner and series co-creator Rangi Rangitukunoa (Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāti Ruanui, Ngāti Maru) has been a part of Kairākau from the very beginning.

“Telling unique authentic Māori stories is a passion. When we created Kairākau, we had the vision of taking our tīpuna stories to the world, they’re that worthy,” says Rangi Rangitukunoa.

“Kairakau 4 shows we can do it, depth of story, authentically Māori, and a passionate crew. We’re living the dream,” he says.

KAIRĀKAU 4 was funded by Te Māngai Pāho and NZ On Air.

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