New Zealand's film industry has been leading the way for the last 30 years when it comes to telling Indigenous stories on the big screen. During that time, actress Rena Owen has been one of the most recognizable Maori in the industry.
She's played historical figures, characters in Star Wars, and everything in between. She’s best known for playing Beth Heke in the groundbreaking 1994 film, "Once Were Warriors."
Owen was in Hawaiʻi recently for the screening of the new film "Whina" at the Hawaiʻi International Film Festival. Owen plays the beloved Maori activist Whina Cooper, who was in her 80s when she led the nearly 700-mile Maori Land March in 1975, a protest against the continued loss of native lands.
The Conversation caught up with the veteran actress to talk about the film and the legacy of New Zealand cinema. "Whina" won the Pasifika Award at HIFF and will screen at the Hilo Palace Theater on Thursday night.
This interview aired on The Conversation on Nov. 16, 2022. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
