He Hekenga Tuhura

Sir Hekenukumai P?hipi (Hector Busby) looks back on his legacy of Polynesian navigation and waka building and considers who will carry the mantle into the future.

The Story

In He Hekenga T?hura, we journey with 86-year-old Polynesian master waka builder and celestial navigator Sir Hector Busby through the past, the present and into the future as he reflects on his life's achievements and how his knowledge will be passed on.

'Sir Hec' has given his life to the restoration of M?ori seafaring traditions. He built his first waka in the early 1970s, seeking out knowledge that in those days was in danger of being forgotten.

This former bridge builder has built over 20 waka, sailed over 30,000 nautical miles, and has completed the 'pacific triangle' - linking Aotearoa, Hawaii and Rapa Nui/Easter Island.

The big question is, 'Who will follow in Sir Hector's footsteps?' Someone must carry the knowledge into the future. Who will the next carvers, builders and navigators be?

Our documentary

We are lucky to have been selected for short documentary initiative Loading Docs and we are also incredibly proud to say that this documentary is going to be in 100% Te Reo Maori.

?Sir Uncle Hector has been an inspiration to my whanau and to the people of Aotearoa for many years. But there are also many who don't know who he is and his important mahi.

After 40 years of learning celestial/pacific navigation, and now 86 years old, his health is deteriorating. It is incredibly important at this stage to detail what we can about his story while we still can. What are his most fond memories? What regrets does he have in life? If he could turn back the clock, what would he do differently?

Sir Hec has become well known around the world. ?With his waka school receiving new funding, now it is time for us to look to the future to see who will be continuing his work in revitalising waka traditions in the years to come, right here, in Aotearoa.

What will it be like?

We are very proud to say that this documentary is going to be in 100% Te Reo Maori. The documentary will also feature people that have been a significant part of Sir Hector's life, helping us get a greater understanding of his achievements and why he took on the challenge of navigation. It will also feature those that have been part of his navigation journey. Whether they were carvers, navigators, friends and/or family.

How will the donations be spent?

This is an all or nothing campaign. Loading Docs will contribute $5500, IF we reach our target of $2500. So we need your help. As you already know, making any documentary whether long or short is an incredibly difficult task. So we appreciate any help we can get. If we raise more than our target of $2500, we will be able to travel further to film people that have been part of Hector's life and potentially even get out on the water on a Waka or two. A larger budget will not only make production and post production smoother, it will really help us tell something truly amazing. 

Where can you see the short documetry?

When the documentary is made it will be released on the Loading Docs website and TVNZ On-demand. Essentially, you will be able to see it online for free: meaning you will be able to share it with your friends and family. ?Our goal is also for us to get the documentary into festivals, both in New Zealand and New Zealandly. We believe this documentary has a serious message, and touches on something incredibly important to indigenous peoples around the world. We would love it to reach as many people as possible, and get on as many screens as we possibly can.

Thank you for your time - every donation gets us closer to making this film a reality. We really appreciate your support.

About us:

Allan George

Allan George (Ngati Kahungunu) is a writer/director/editor who has worked on such shows as The Crowd Goes Wild, Shortland Street and Only in Aotearoa. He is also a 5 time Tropfest NZ finalist and winner of the LA Shorts Fest 'Best Screenplay Award' (Academy Award-Accredited). He has a love for storytelling and has always wanted to tell a story about his Uncle Hector, detailing the man who has inspired many around the world.

Moehau Hodges-Tai

Moehau has iwi affiliations with Ng?ti P?hauwera, Ng?ti Ranginui, Ng?ti Hau?, Ng?ti Maniapoto, Ng?ti T?wharetoa and Ng?ti Wai.

His work experience has included working for South Pacific Pictures and M?ori TV. He has free-lanced in big budget film productions, advertisements, music video clips and TV shows working for a range of production companies. He is currently the Video Producer and M?ori Issues Specialist for NZME (New Zealand Media and Entertainment) with experience in film making, editing, journalism, social media and cinematography.

Moehau graduated from the University of Waikato with a First Class Honours in Digital Cinema. He also completed his Bachelor of Media and Creative Technology double majoring in Te Reo M?ori and Screen Media.

Moehau is passionate about increasing visibility of Te Ao M?ori and normalising M?ori content in the media. He also has an overall passion about politics, especially those that impact directly on M?ori.

Justin Scott

Justin Scott (Ng?puhi) currently works as a Production Manager and Digital Content Producer for NZME so he has a fantastic understanding of online?marketing and social strategies. With a varied background in Production and Directing he has worked on web series, commercials?and directed children's television?show "Sticky TV." He has a critical eye for detail and a passion for telling stories of people from all walks of life.