First Look at ‘Kōkā’

Kōkā, edited by DEGANZ board member Te Rurehe Paki, is making history as the first feature film shot in the original dialect of Ngāti Porou and is coming to cinemas in June 2025.

The film is a powerful relationship drama following Māori elder Hamo and troubled teen Jo who form an unlikely bond on a road trip in a Ford Falcon. Together they confront past traumas and each face their demons. Their shared path becomes a journey of healing, community, and reconciliation.

Writer/director Kath Akuhata-Brown (Ngāti Porou) speaks on the film’s inspiration saying,

I wanted to make a film that puts a Māori world view front and centre of the screen. It’s a road trip about an elder who feels it’s time to go home, but getting home isn’t going to be easy for her.

She invites audiences to experience Kōkā as a “journey of dignity, heart and of mana in the face of a landscape that is constantly shifting.”

Check out the trailer below and keep an eye out for Kōkā in cinemas this June.

Last updated on 13 February 2025