(Māori Television, NZ) A Rotorua-based NZ digital production team are working in conjunction with an international production group from Canada to make a high end digital web and social media series aimed at empowering indigenous young women.
A group of wāhine Māori animators are helping to co-create an international web series which comprises 30 episodes. Chanz Mikaere, NZ spokesperson for the series says:
“Having an ability to tell stories across continents, across mediums, across social media platforms- which is quite frankly where story telling seems to be going. It’s wonderful to have whakairo and raranga – it’s great to have platforms in these digital forums for our kids”.
The series is about Anika and Kisik a Canadian Cree First Nations girl.
Fierce is a response to an empty space when it comes to providing storytelling for indigenous girls all around the world, things whereby we can have visual arts, social change, technology [and] story-telling all intersect but use that as a means to actually inspire rangatahi,” says Mikaere.
The project is created by international award-winning indigenous showrunner, filmmaker Loretta Todd.
We were able to get an amazing communication across both countries,” says Mikaere, “That’s been quite a challenge because while some might be having a hui at 1am others might be animating at 1pm so it’s that cohesiveness of the project- getting it to actually work across the world using the internet”.
The web series will launch in June.