Merata Mita collapsed outside Maori Television Studios on Monday afternoon and died shortly afterwards.
A producer of seven features, book-ended by her own 1983 Patu! and Boy, Ms Mita was also a director, writer, actress, and teacher.
Dr Pita Sharples, co-leader of the Maori Party, paid tribute to her, saying, “Her topics, and her insights, reflect Merata’s passion for her causes. Justice, race relations, Maori history and workers’ rights, were revealed in drama, documentary and biography … Her influence on New Zealand’s identity has been profound, and her personality and experience will be sorely missed,” said Dr Sharples.
