Doing it our way

Despite the cloud hanging over local TV, meaningful NZ programmes were there for the viewing in 2025.

- BY RUSSELL BROWN

MANA MOANA MANA TANGATA (Māori+), Julian Arahanga’s feature documentary about the making and meaning of the first major treaty settlement, 1992’s “Sealord deal”, was a challenge.

The story was complex and the cast of players vast - the film includes 32 on-screen interviews. Arahanga makes a remarkable job of communicating the detail without overwhelming the viewer - sometimes by simply pausing and having us gaze at the ocean. This is documentary as oral history, and it will be watched for decades to come.

Arahanga also directed The Stolen Children of Aotearoa (Māori+, TVNZ+), another feature documentary which, powered by the reporting of