Too many talented Kiwis get little respect at home

Whale Rider director Niki Caro claims a colonial mentality is forcing many talented New Zealanders to fight for recognition.

In an interview with the online magazine Slate, Caro says creative people aren't celebrated, or respected, in New Zealand.

She said she had experienced a colonial mentality among Kiwis, who found it "very difficult to celebrate creative achievement".

"In order to get New Zealanders' respect, you have to dominate the world like Peter Jackson [the director of King Kong] has done. He is absolutely revered."

Auckland concert promoter Gray Bartlett agreed it often seemed artists had to succeed overseas before they were lauded back home. "There's definitely a hell of a lot of truth in that," he said.

Bartlett said rugby got an immense amount of attention in New Zealand "but the reality is that once you leave our shores, you realise it's not the biggest thing after all. We've got a sports mentality more than we have an arts mentality."

New Zealand still had amazing opportunities to promote and celebrate the victories of people like Hayley Westenra, Caro and others: "We should look at them all and say we do extremely well, which would be a great way of encouraging our future young performers."

Ms Caro told Slate said she never had a mentor, but would have liked one.


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