Filmed entirely in Te Waipounamu, Tia Barrett’s (Waitaha, Ngāti Māmoe, Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Tamainupō, Ngāti Maniapoto, Waikato) He Pounamu Ko Āu (2022) explores wahine Māori identity and channels whakapapa through moving image, pounamu pūrākau (storytelling), mōteatea (sung poetry) and sound.

Barrett’s mahi toi instils the importance of celebrating and preserving Te Ao Māori.

Image: He Pounamu Ko Āu (still), 2022, Tia Barrett. Courtesy of the artist