• What is the name of your film? What is it about?

The name of my film is Amalgamate. It follows a young Māori man infiltrating a new political party gaining traction. He aims to reveal their true motives and show the country who they are actually voting for. When he discovers concerning experiments targeting Māori, things begin to escalate impacting not only his people but his own whānau (family).

• What was the most challenging thing that you shot for your film?

There were a lot of challenges within the shooting of this film but the most challenging was capturing a shot of our protagonist William (played by Tawhero Uangakore) realising he isn’t safe within his own home when the power is suddenly cut. There are editing cuts within that scene, but all the handheld shots were done in one take. I remember my crew working together in a sort of choreography turning off lights, moving props and more in the long take. Our DOP Martin Bernabe worked the hardest handling heavy camera gear take after take in a hot, stuffy room but all our magic combined gave us such a cool-looking scene. 

• Is this your first film? Where might have people seen your work before?

This isn’t my first film, Amalgamate is actually a sequel to my first short film called Eradicate. My first film follows a young Māori woman who is questioning the propaganda of this new political party, eventually being targeted by them for her curiosity. Both films are set in the same universe but follow different perspectives. That film wasn’t submitted to any festivals but I am planning on making both films public after MWFF 2025!

• What was the inspiration for your film?

My inspiration for this film was, to be frank, colonisation. The effects of colonisation are still felt to this day with many Māori unable to speak Te Reo Māori and/or growing up disconnected from their culture. Colonisation isn’t a one-and-done deal, it’s always going to be embedded in us and the culture of New Zealanders today. I wanted to show a world where the government was performing a secret, sci-fi version of colonisation right under our noses in a horror/thriller context because it is a horror that our ancestors were subjected to. The most ironic thing was during the production of this film it was an election year and now look at where Aotearoa is. Considering the things our current government have been trying to implement; this film does not seem far from reality.

• Do you have any tips for aspiring filmmakers?

It is easy to get swept up in all the technical aspects of a project and fall into a machine mindset but remember to connect with the people you are working with and communicate! Communication around the project is great but remember to ask someone how they are doing. We don’t know what’s happening in people’s heads all the time so let’s make them feel seen.