Check out TV and Radio’s Te Wiki o te Reo Māori | Māori Language Week 2018 playlist to enjoy a selection of television programmes that teach, discuss, or celebrate various aspects of te reo Māori.

You’ll find some historic gems like Aitua: Emergency (1986), a thought-provoking short film set in an alternate reality Aotearoa New Zealand where te reo Māori is the dominant language. The film centres on a non-Māori speaking pākehā family encountering language barriers in an emergency hospital situation.

The playlist also features more recent programmes including a documentary about teenage thrash metal band Alien Weaponry who weave Māori language, history and themes into their music, and the first episode in the Tongue Tied (2018) series, a comedy set in a kura pō (te reo Māori class) with a hilariously awkward group of characters.

This year’s theme for Te Wiki o te Reo Māori is Kia kaha te reo Māori: Let’s make the Māori language strong. If you’re looking to strengthen your knowledge of te reo, take a look at TV and Radio’s episodes of Toku Reo, a Māori language programme for beginners.

Te Wiki o te Reo Māori runs from 10-16 September 2018.

Rose Beasley, Media Services