Film Screening: I Am the River

2010 / 51min.

The tribes of Whanganui take their name, their spirit and their strength from the great river which flows from the mountains of the central North Island to the sea. For centuries, people have travelled the Whanganui River by canoe, caught eels in it, built villages on its banks, and fought over it. The people say, 'Ko au te awa. Ko te awa ko au' (I am the river. The river is me).

I Am the River traces the journey of the Partington collection of 19th century photographs of Whanganui Maori. The 2001 chance discovery of these previously unknown photographs in a garage in the Bay of Islands provides a rare visual insight into 19th century NZ history and forged a link between Maori in the present with Tupuna in the past.

However, it provoked a cultural clash that pitted Maori and Pakeha views of ownership against each other. Directors McNeill and Cutore documented the events with its surprising resolution.

Winner, Best NZ Feature Documentary, Best NZ Cinematography and Best NZ Editing awards, Documentary Edge Festival 2011.