Mana Whakatipu

'Mana Whakatipu' is a 12 minute kapa haka horror, in the vein of Black Swan, about an overachiever who must face her internal anxieties when a young rival pushes her to the brink of madness – a unique kaupapa that uses psychological and body horror to expand on the anxieties of being a modern day Māori.  With your tautoko, we are aiming for a target of $3,000 to share this story with audiences who can relate to the lingering fear of failure that haunts when reclaiming a lost culture.

Ko Vavaki McNaughton toku ingoa, my name is Vavaki. 

I am currently studying Drama Writing/Directing at Yoobee Southseas Film School. Before this I studied at Ngā Puna Ō Waiōrea from year 11, having never been to a kura kaupapa, wanting to immerse myself in my culture, and learn te reo. I was playing catch up and was so afraid to make a mistake. The anxiety of failing, built up inside of me, to the point where it was being manifested externally. I felt like I was being watched. I felt alone in this fear, partly because I was too whakamā to speak about it. But as I started to acknowledge this fear within myself, I learnt just how many of my peers felt the same. I have learnt from this experience that as a filmmaker I want to tell relatable stories that often go unheard, from Māori, from women, from rangatahi. 

I am supported by a talented student crew from Yoobee Southseas Film School, selected by the school, who bring expertise across directing, cinematography, production design, sound, and editing.

We are raising $3,000 to support  'Mana Whakatipu' through principal photography to distribution. These funds will go directly toward:

• Gear/Equipment Hire (camera, lighting, audio)
• Production Costs (catering, art department, costume)
• Post-production (editing, colour grading, sound design, music licensing)
• Festival Submissions 

Kaea, a 17-year-old Māori girl who grew up isolated from her culture. She’s worked hard to connect with her māoritanga and achieve her dream of leading her kapa haka group as kaitātaki wahine. At a kapa haka noho, Kaea is abruptly replaced as kaitātaki by Pareārau, a new, younger student, forcing Kaea to confront her own uneasy relationship with te reo, culture, and authenticity. Kaea discovers it was Pareārau who got her demoted. Kaea confronts her, accusing her of manipulation and theft. Pareārau responds in old māori that Kaea doesn’t quite understand, but sends a shiver down her spine. What begins as a clash of ambition soon becomes something far more haunting. That night, Kaea’s anxiety turns to paranoia – she begins seeing Pareārau everywhere, feeling watched, studied, haunted. ‘Mana Whakatipu’ explores the weight of cultural responsibility, the fragility of identity, and the uneasy balance between preserving tikanga and allowing it to evolve.

This work is about providing a stepping stone for a young wahine Māori writer/director who has a focus on Māori representation and stories. 'Mana Whakatipu' will be my first short film being produced in a professional way and a starting point for a career in the film & TV industry.