Oscar hype washes over young stars

Ahiwaru Ngamoki (left), Hutini Waikato and Rangi Ngamoki starred in the latest NZ film to win Oscar nomination. Picture / Alan Gibson

Three New Zealand children will today see their faces splashed on the big screen at the Oscars.

But Rangi Ngamoki, his cousin Te Ahiwaru Ngamoki, both 10, and their friend Hutini Waikato, 12, shrug off thoughts of what might happen if Two Cars, One Night takes out the short film live action category at today's Academy Awards.

They are more interested in East Cape country kids' pursuits of fishing, swimming and riding horses. The nearest cinema is 40km away at Opotiki.

In fact the whole remote East Cape community where they live - and where the 11-minute black and white movie was made - is underwhelmed by any Hollywood hype. At the Te Kaha Hotel, where Two Cars, One Night was filmed in the carpark over four nights in 2003, there is no fanfare.

Duty manager Ethel Parata said those who know about the film are proud but: "I don't think people here realise the importance of the Oscars - but those who know about the film are damned proud of it."

Had she known there would be media focus on Te Kaha Hotel "I would have put my teeth in".

"There should be balloons and bells. But life just goes on."

Thirty kilometres away at Maraenui, Rangi (Romeo in the film), blonde-haired Ahi (cast as his little brother Ed) and shy Hutini (Polly) live with their whanau.

The youngsters were surprised to be selected by East Coast-bred actor and writer Taika Waititi, 29, to take part in the little movie he conceived and directed, based on his own childhood experiences.

The trio enjoyed the movie-making experience of working from 7pm to 3am for four nights of their school holidays.

"They did well at it, then it finished and they went back to normal," said Robin Mohi, their teacher at the 87-pupil Te Kura Kaupapa Maaori o Maraenui school overlooking the sparkling Pacific ocean.

"Their lives are no different at all. It has not affected them up to now and isn't going to make any difference to their daily lives."

At school, the film "isn't even a topic of conversation", said Mr Mohi, whose wife, Ani, is the principal. "This is a very Maori community."

Like their classmates the bi-lingual children performed strongly in kapa haka and appeared in school plays. "It is a sobering thought that total strangers can walk in, pick children, and within four weeks - with some training - turn out an acting performance like that."

None of the three was anything like the characters they played in the film, nor had they ever been left in a car outside a pub at night.

Key factors in their performances were the school climate of disciplined learning and the small community's focus on kapa haka and the Ringatu Church, which involved "an exceptional amount of rote learning".

Rangi, who won a New Zealand Film best actor award, now has an agent on the advice of Mr Waititi and producer Ainsley Gardiner.

They were protective of the young trio, especially after the "horrible" media interest when the Oscar nominations were announced, said Rangi's mother, Lorraine.

The children would be watching the Oscars on Sky with the agent in Auckland today. Mrs Ngamoki said her son was a quiet boy who after school did his homework, fed the pig and the dog, washed out the dog kennel and shifted the horses.

He got "some money" for his first acting role. "It went into his bank account."  

Watching the Oscars

The 77th annual Academy Awards ceremony starts on Sky Movies 1 at 2.30pm today and runs until 6.30pm.

The short film category is expected around 4pm.

A replay runs on TV2 at 10.30pm.