One of Rotorua's long-lost sons is back in the city filming a documentary, just weeks before his first feature film hits the big screen.
Film-maker Michael Bennett was in the city this week filming a series about Maori architecture. His first stop was Whakarewarewa's living thermal village.
The series, called Whare Maori,
is "a journey through Maori architecture from the arrival of the first waka to now and into the future", he says.
"It's pretty unique here with people still living in the village that's also a tourist destination."
Mr Bennett enlisted Te Kura o te Whakarewarewa's kapa haka group to re-create a picture taken about 60 years ago of children performing a haka on the bridge leading into the village.
Their impromptu performance had tourists queuing up to take pictures and videos.
Of Ngati Pikiao and Ngati Whakaue descent, Mr Bennett said he loved coming back to Rotorua after owning an art shop on Tutanekai St about 10 years ago.
Four years ago, he made a short film in Rotorua called Kerosene Creek and now he's back in town filming the 13-part series for Maori Television. The series is expected to be shown mid-next year.
Mr Bennett has worked on many New Zealand television productions - most famously he has written and directed parts of the popular show Outrageous Fortune.
His first feature film is being released next month and had its world premier at the Toronto Film Festival three weeks ago.
He said Matariki was set in South Auckland and was influenced by Maori and Pacific Island cultures and was well received by critics in Toronto.
"It was the scariest day of my life, it was the first time people had seen the film but the response was amazing.
"Tem [Temuera] Morrison was there for another movie but he went to the premiere and said it really moved him."
Mr Bennett said the film was a real New Zealand story and "people from overseas understood it in its cultural context".
Check out Matariki, the movie, in cinemas from November 18. View the film's trailer at www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZOexT346OM or go to www.matarikimovie.com.
