Me He Manu Rere

What if the stories we tell ourselves to survive are the very thing keeping us trapped? Me He Manu Rere, meaning "a flock of birds in unity," is a Māori-language short film about grief, memory, and the weight of a love that never found its ending.

At the heart of the film is Āi, a man who carries his grief literally; a Tūī lives inside his stomach, its song the last thread connecting him to a son he lost. When the bird begins to starve itself, Āi is forced to confront the memories he has been carefully rewriting and ask whether the stories we tell about the people we've lost are memories, dreams, or something we simply need to believe.

Me He Manu Rere is written by Tainui Tukiwaho and told entirely in Te Reo Māori. It is a film of striking visual imagery, quiet devastation, and profound humanity.

The project has already secured $40,000 in production funding, enough to bring the film to life. But to take it further and to give it the best possible chance on the international stage, we need an additional $10,000.

Whatever you can give, it matters. Donate now, share this page with someone who loves film, loves language, loves a story that stays with you. Help us carry this waiata out into the world.

Tainui Tukiwaho - Writer/Director

Kahukore Bell - Producer 

Roy Iro - Assistant Producer 

Making Me He Manu Rere the right way has never been the question. With strong creative talent attached and a script that deserves to be realised fully, we have worked hard to secure the foundation this film needs. What we need now is your help to take it to the final step.

Crowdfunding is not our starting point, it is our finishing line. The $10,000 we are raising here represents the final piece of a larger puzzle, bridging the gap between a completed film and a film that is ready to compete on the international stage.

Your support will go directly towards:

• Principal photography and production costs
• Set design and construction
• Costume and art direction
• Location fees
• Post-production, sound design, and colour grade
• International Film Festival Entries* 

Every contribution directly strengthens the film's chances of reaching the widest possible audience. We're not asking you to fund a dream, we're asking you to help us finish one.

Me He Manu Rere is a short film that explores grief, memory, and the stories we create to cope with loss. A man carries a Tūī inside his stomach; the waiata the bird sings to him is the only thing keeping him tethered to the memory of his son. As the bird weakens, so does his grip on the version of events he has chosen to remember.

The film blends magical realism with intimate performances to create a world that is at once deeply strange and deeply human. It is a film that honours Te Reo Māori as a vessel for some of the most universal emotions we carry.

Me He Manu Rere is a film about what it means to hold on to a person, to a memory, to a version of the past that may never have been entirely true.

Grief is universal, but the way this story is told is distinctly Māori. The language, the imagery, the relationship between the human and the natural world. They are the story. At a time when Te Reo Māori is being reclaimed and celebrated, films like this matter.

Upon completion, Me He Manu Rere will be submitted to some of the most prestigious film festivals in the world, including:

National: New Zealand International Film Festival (NZIFF), Show Me Shorts Film Festival, Māoriland Film Festival  

International: Sundance Film Festival, SXSW, Palm Springs International ShortFest, Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival

By supporting Me He Manu Rere, you are supporting the vision of an exceptional Māori writer and director, the continued presence of Te Reo Māori on screen, a strong team of creative indigenous collaborators, and a piece of cinema that we believe has the reach to be seen around the world.

This is your chance to be part of something that lasts. Donate today. Every contribution, large or small, brings Me He Manu Rere one step closer to the screens it deserves. Share this page with someone who loves film, loves language, or loves a story that stays with you long after it ends. Together, we can carry this waiata out into the world.