AT A TIME WHEN THERE'S A NATIONWIDE SHORTAGE OF SCHOOL PRINCIPALS, FINDING ONE WHO CAN DO BACKFLIPS AND PLAY BULLRUSH IS A PRETTY TALL ORDER. SO SOME SOUTH ISLAND SCHOOL KIDS HAVE TAKEN IT UPON THEMSELVES TO LAUNCH A UNIQUE RECRUITMENT CAMPAIGN TO FIND THE PERFECT PRINCIPAL. WHAT'S ONE THING YOU WANT YOUR PRINCIPAL TO BE REALLY GOOD AT? UM, HELPING PEOPLE. THE TOP JOB IN ANY SCHOOL CALLS FOR VERY SPECIAL QUALITIES. BACKFLIPS. BASKETBALL. BULLRUSH AT LUNCHTIME. THEY'LL PLAY BULLRUSH WITH US. SO THE STUDENTS OF PAOROA SCHOOL ON THE WEST COAST OF THE SOUTH ISLAND HAVE TAKEN RECRUITMENT INTO THEIR OWN HANDS TO FIND THE PERFECT CANDIDATE. I'D LIKE THEM TO BE REALLY GOOD AT, LIKE, GETTING OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR KIDS. WITH HUNDREDS OF SCHOOL-PRINCIPAL JOBS SITTING VACANT NATIONWIDE,... I WANT IT TO BE A GIRL, NOT A BOY. ...STANDING OUT FROM THE CROWD, LIKE THESE KIDS, MIGHT BE THE ONLY WAY SCHOOLS CAN HOOK THE BEST TO HEAD THEIR SCHOOL. SO YOU THINK YOU'VE GOT WHAT IT TAKES TO BE OUR NEW PRINCIPAL? THEN WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? COME ON! AND LEANNE OTENE FROM THE NZ PRINCIPALS' FEDERATION IS HERE NOW. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME, LEANNE. WHY DOESN'T ANYONE WANT TO BE A SCHOOL PRINCIPAL ANY MORE? WELL, LOOK, OUR YOUNG TEACHERS, WHO, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE ASPIRING TO BE PRINCIPALS, OR WE WOULD LIKE THEM TO BE PRINCIPALS, ARE LOOKING AT THE ROLE AND GOING, 'THAT'S NOT FOR ME.' YOU KNOW, THEY CAN SEE JUST HOW COMPLEX THE POSITION IS, HOW MUCH WORK GOES INTO MEETING THE NEEDS OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE SCHOOL, BUT ALSO THE COMMUNITY. THE JOB IS EXTREMELY COMPLEX AND DIFFICULT, AND SO OUR YOUNG TEACHERS ARE JUST NOT INTERESTED IN THAT. OUR SENIOR TEACHERS AND OUR MIDDLE MANAGEMENT, THEY'RE NOT INTERESTED IN GOING OUT TO OUR REMOTE AND RURAL SCHOOLS, BECAUSE THEY CAN STAY IN OUR URBAN SCHOOLS AND BE PAID MUCH MORE THAN THEY WOULD BE AS A PRINCIPAL. CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT SORT OF PRESSURES PRINCIPALS ARE UNDER? YEAH, PRINCIPALS UNDER A HUGE EXPECTATIONS, BY THE GOVERNMENT, BY THEIR COMMUNITIES, BY PARENTS AND BY THEIR BOARDS OF TRUSTEES TO DELIVER. AND, YOU KNOW, PRINCIPALS, AT THE HEART OF IT, WANT THE VERY BEST FOR EVERY CHILD. BUT WHAT THEY NEED IS THEY NEED THE RESOURCES, THEY NEED THE TOOLS, AND THEY NEED THE STAFF TO BE ABLE TO DELIVER ON THOSE EXPECTATIONS, AND QUITE OFTEN, THEY CAN'T ` THEY JUST DO NOT HAVE THAT LEVEL OF SUPPORT. ON TOP OF THAT, PRINCIPALS THEMSELVES, NEED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, TO BE ABLE TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THAT IS HAPPENING AROUND THEM ` LEGISLATION, PROPERTY, FINANCE. THE JOB, LIKE I SAID, IS SO COMPLEX, AND SO SUPPORT NEEDS TO BE GIVEN TO OUR PRINCIPALS, TO DELIVER ON THE EXPECTATIONS OF EVERYONE. LEANNE, TELL ME, IS IT HARDER TO FIND CANDIDATES FOR PRIMARY OR SECONDARY SCHOOL PRINCIPAL ROLES? WELL, TRADITIONALLY, OUR SECONDARY SCHOOL PRINCIPALS STAY IN THE SCHOOLS, AND THEY OFTEN RETIRE. BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE DIFFICULTIES IN OUR SMALLER SECONDARY SCHOOLS AND URBAN` I MEAN, SORRY, IN OUR REMOTE AND RURAL AREAS, BUT WE'RE FINDING THAT IT'S PREDOMINANTLY IN THE PRIMARY SECTOR. AND I'M HEARING FROM PLACES LIKE SOUTHLAND AND TE TAI TOKERAU THAT THEY'RE HAVING HUGE TURNOVERS OF PRINCIPALS, AND THAT RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION IS A MAJOR PROBLEM FOR THEM. WHAT MAKES A GOOD PRINCIPAL? I MEAN, HOW WOULD YOU WANT TO ENCOURAGE MORE TO SIGN UP? LOOK, THE JOB ` I LOVE THE JOB, AND I'M SO PROUD OF EVERY PRINCIPAL ACROSS NZ; THEY DO AN EXCEPTIONAL JOB. AND WHY IS IT? THEY'RE EXCEPTIONAL PEOPLE. THEY HAVE GREAT UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IS TEACHING AND LEARNING, COS THAT'S THEIR JOB. THEY'RE LEADERS OF TEACHING AND LEARNING, SO THEY HAVE THE PEDAGOGICAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE CURRICULUM, THEY HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE, THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT TEACHERS NEED TO DO, IN ORDER TO BE EFFECTIVE AND HAVE QUALITY TEACHING. THEY HAVE GREAT RELATIONSHIP SKILLS. THEY GET ON WITH THEIR COMMUNITIES. THEY WORK WITH THEIR BOARDS OF TRUSTEES. THEY KNOW HOW TO SEEK SUPPORT AND HELP FROM AGENCIES, FROM THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION. BUT MOST OF ALL, THEY LOVE CHILDREN. THEY ARE THERE BECAUSE THEY ABSOLUTELY WANT THE VERY BEST FOR EVERY CHILD. WELL, GOOD LUCK GETTING MORE OF THEM. LOVELY TO TALK TO YOU, LEANNE. TENA KOE. KIA ORA. CAPTIONS BY MAEVE KELLY, SAM BAKER AND FAITH HAMBLYN. CAPTIONS WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF NZ ON AIR. WWW.ABLE.CO.NZ COPYRIGHT ABLE 2024. WHEN YOU'VE LIVED THROUGH A DISASTER AND THE FIRST RESPONDERS HAVE MOVED ON, WHO DO YOU CALL FOR HELP TO CLEAN UP? THE ANSWER IS TASKFORCE KIWI ` MOSTLY CURRENT AND FORMER SERVICEMEN AND WOMEN WHO AREN'T DONE WITH THEIR DESIRE TO SERVE. JENDY HARPER MET THEM ON THE BLACKENED PORT HILLS. (GENTLE GUITAR MUSIC) SATURDAY MORNING, 9AM, THESE FINE INDIVIDUALS COULD BE ELSEWHERE, WITH THEIR FAMILIES, OR ENJOYING A DAY OFF. INSTEAD, THEY'RE HERE TO HELP ` TO HELP JOHN JOSEPH, WHO DOESN'T KNOW WHERE TO START, DOESN'T KNOW WHAT TO KEEP OR WHAT TO CAST ASIDE. WE'RE NOT LETTING THIS STAND IN OUR WAY. IT'S JUST ANOTHER THING THAT'S BEEN THROWN AT US. ON CHRISTCHURCH'S PORT HILLS, JOHN HAS NOW SURVIVED TWO FIRES, THE FIRST IN 2017, WHICH CIRCLED HIS PROPERTY, AND THIS ONE A FEW WEEKS AGO, WHICH AGAIN, SKIRTED HIS HOME AND DESTROYED THE CONTENTS OF THREE CONTAINERS. THIS ONE WAS BEING USED AS A SLEEPOUT. HIS GRANDDAUGHTER WASN'T THERE AT THE TIME. IT'S A BIG JOB. OH, IT IS, YEAH. YEAH. BUT YOU NEED AN ORGANISED TEAM. YOU NEED PEOPLE LIKE PAUL FROM THE MANIATOTO. YEAH, I'M DEPUTY CHIEF AT THE NASEBY VOLUNTEER FIRE BRIGADE. YOU NEED PEOPLE LIKE SHELLEY. SO, MY BACKGROUND IS POLICING, BUT I'M NOW, LIKE, CONSULTANT PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR. YOU NEED PEOPLE LIKE SHANE. BACKGROUND IS MOSTLY CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION, SO DO A LOT OF FORESTRY WORK, ARBORISH WORK, CONCRETE AND BUILDING, SO ALL ROUND. AND AT THE HELM, YOU NEED A LEADER LIKE RICHARD ADAMS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, EVERYONE, FOR COMING OUT THIS MORNING, ON WHAT TURNED OUT TO BE AN UNEXPECTEDLY CRISP CHRISTCHURCH MORNING UP ON THE HILL. IS THIS YOUR FULL-TIME JOB? NO, NO, IT'S NOT. SO YOU HAVE A DAY JOB AS WELL. I DO, YES. YES, NO, I WORK FULL-TIME. SO THIS IS VERY MUCH MY, YOU KNOW, VERY AGGRESSIVE HOBBY, I SUPPOSE, IS ONE WAY TO PUT IT. RICHARD IS EX-ARMY, AND WHEN YOU ASK HIM WHY HE'S HERE, WHY HE'S ARRANGED FOR ALL THESE OTHER FOLK TO BE HERE, WHY HE'S GONE TO ALL THIS EFFORT TO SET UP TASKFORCE KIWI, TO FIND FUNDING, FIND SPONSORS, THIS IS HIS WHY. AS AN ARMY VETERAN, AS A LOT OF VETERANS OF MY GENERATION, I SPENT TIME IN AFGHANISTAN. AND IN 2021, WHEN AFGHANISTAN FELL TO THE TALIBAN, IT WAS A BIT OF A PUNCH IN THE GUTS, REALLY. IT WAS ALMOST A GRIEVING PROCESS, SO, LIKE, SOMETHING THAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO YOU AS AN INDIVIDUAL. AND, YOU KNOW, YOU LOOK BACK, AND I THOUGHT, 'WELL, THAT WAS A FAILURE.' THIS IS HOW RICHARD ADAMS FEELS USEFUL AGAIN, WIELDING A CHAINSAW ON THE PORT HILLS OR SHOVELLING SILT IN HAWKE'S BAY, DELIVERING VITAL SUPPLIES IN POST-QUAKE MOROCCO, HELPING FLOOD VICTIMS IN AUSTRALIA. TASKFORCE KIWI HAS WINGS AND A CONTINGENT OF 480 KIND AND CARING KIWIS. I JUST WANNA HELP, JUST HELP PEOPLE. YOU KNOW, THESE PEOPLE HAVE HAD A PRETTY HARD TIME LATELY. JUST A WAY TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY. A LOT OF HANDS MAKE, YOU KNOW, LIGHT WORK. IF YOU'VE GOT THE SKILLS, GOT THE ABILITY, YOU SHOULD SERVE. AND IT'S THAT SIMPLE. YOU KNOW, YOU SHOULDN'T STAND BACK AND THINK, 'OH, I MIGHT HELP' ` YOU JUST GET OUT THERE AND HELP. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOU DO; YOU COULD JUST PICK UP SOMETHING. A MAN'S JUST SMILING BECAUSE YOU'RE HERE ` THAT'S THE GREATEST THING YOU DO. THIS MAN IS SMILING, AND NOT JUST BECAUSE HE'S FOUND THE FAMILY'S OLD BOARD GAMES STILL INTACT. THIS IS FANTASTIC. THESE PEOPLE COMING IN AS A TEAM, ORGANISED. AND I COULDN'T SPEAK MORE HIGHLY OF WHAT THEY'VE ALREADY DONE. FIRE AND EMERGENCY NZ CAME THROUGH AND HAVE DONE AN AMAZING JOB, GETTING THIS FIRE UNDER CONTROL. ONCE THEY MOVE OUT, WHAT DO PEOPLE DO THEN? WHERE DO THEY SEEK HELP? SO THAT'S, SORT OF, THE IDEA THAT WE CAN COME IN AND FILL THAT GAP. ARE THERE GAPS TO FILL IN TASKFORCE KIWI? YES, THERE ARE ` GAPS FOR BUSINESSES TO COME ON BOARD AS SPONSORS AND GAPS FOR GOOD PEOPLE TO LEND A HAND. WE HAVE 480 REGISTERED VOLUNTEERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AT THE MOMENT. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE 1000, WHICH WOULD GIVE US A NICE POOL OF PEOPLE. IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT'S A CUP OF TEA, STAND AT THE GATE AND TELL PEOPLE YOU CAN'T COME ON THE PROPERTY. WE'LL JUST COME IN AND HOOK UP WITH ORGANISATIONS LIKE RICH, AND THEY'LL SUPPORT YOU IN ANYTHING YOU NEED. AND THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO IS HELP. THERE IS NO TIME TO BE INTERVIEWED. THEY HAVE THINGS TO DO. THEY ARE DOING GREAT WORK. NOW, WE ALL KNOW PEOPLE WHO'VE DONE SOMETHING GREAT AND DESERVE A BIT OF RECOGNITION ` AND THAT'S WHY WE PARTNER WITH ASB TO BRING YOU 'GOOD AS GOLD'. DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE DOING SELFLESS THINGS FOR OTHERS IN YOUR COMMUNITY? SHE'S REALLY LOOKED AFTER PEOPLE ALL HER LIFE. I DON'T KNOW IF HE KNOWS JUST HOW APPRECIATED HE IS. OR MAYBE THEY'VE HAD A TOUGH TIME AND DESERVE A TREAT. ON BEHALF OF ASB,... ...WE'D LOVE TO GIVE YOU $10,000. WELL, WHY NOT NOMINATE THEM FOR OUR ASB 'GOOD AS GOLD' AWARD? UNREAL. GO TO asbgoodasgold.co.nz AND TELL US THEIR STORY. # I'LL BE THERE FOR YOU. # E WHAI AKE NEI, COMING UP ON SEVEN SHARP ` THE NEW FILM ABOUT NZ, SET IN A TIME THAT WE DON'T OFTEN SEE. PLUS ` WHEN DOES WELL INTENTIONED CROSS THE LINE INTO BAD MANNERS? HOW NOT TO MAKE AN EGG OF YOURSELF ` NEXT. NAU MAI, HOKI MAI ` WELCOME BACK. LOVELY TO HAVE YOU WITH US. THERE'S SOMETHING YOU DON'T DO TO A PERSON IN A WHEELCHAIR. IT'S CAUSING SUCH STRESS THAT SARAH KERR FROM CHRISTCHURCH REACHED OUT TO US TO TRY TO CREATE SOME AWARENESS. IT'S NOT OK TO TOUCH A BABY BELLY WITHOUT PERMISSION. DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT. ALL RIGHT, WE'RE ALL AGREED ON THAT? YEAH, I THINK SO. LET'S GO GET IT A COFFEE. COME ON, MJ. AND YOU WOULDN'T JUST PICK SOMEONE UP AND CARRY THEM, SO DON'T PUSH SOMEONE'S WHEELCHAIR WITHOUT ASKING. MY CHAIR IS ALMOST AN ADDITIONAL LIMB TO MY ENTIRE BODY. MY CHAIR IS A PART OF ME. SO IT'S ACTUALLY A REAL VIOLATION, ISN'T IT? DEFINITELY. IT'S A HUGE VIOLATION OF MY PERSONAL SPACE, AND IT PUTS ME IN HARM'S WAY. CHRISTCHURCH RESIDENT SARAH KERR WANTS TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT WHEELCHAIR ETIQUETTE. MY END GOAL IS TO GET PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT PEOPLE IN WHEELCHAIRS ARE PEOPLE TOO. WE DO HAVE FEELINGS. ETIQUETTE IS A CODE OF POLITE CONDUCT. IF YOU PRACTICE PROPER ETIQUETTE, YOU ARE LESS LIKELY TO OFFEND OR ANNOY PEOPLE. FOR SARAH, PEOPLE PUSHING HER CHAIR IS MORE THAN UPSETTING HER; IT'S CAUSING ANXIETY. BECAUSE OF MY DISABILITY, I CAN'T MOVE MY NECK MUCH AT ALL, SO I HAVEN'T GOT MUCH WAY TO LOOK OVER MY SHOULDER OR ANYTHING. SO IT COULD BE ANY TOM, DICK OR HARRY DOING IT. SHE'S HAD SEVERAL INCIDENTS WITH A WELL-MEANING PASSER-BY. THE ONE THAT STICKS IN MY HEAD IS I WAS PUSHING ACROSS INTO ACTON ST, HERE IN CHRISTCHURCH, AND I TOLD HER, 'PLEASE, DON'T PUSH MY CHAIR.' AND SHE SAID, 'OH, I WAS JUST TRYING TO HELP YOU; 'WHAT ARE YOU GRUMPY ABOUT?' OVER THE YEARS, THERE HAVE BEEN HUGE INROADS IN WHEELCHAIR TECHNOLOGY ` (APPLAUSE) ...MATERIALS LIKE TITANIUM HAVE CREATED LIGHTER FRAMES. NOW, THE SPORT MIGHT BE CALLED RUGBY, BUT YOU COULD ARGUE IT PLAYS MORE LIKE AMERICAN FOOTBALL. THERE'S BEEN ADVANCES IN ATHLETIC MODELS, FOR SPORTS PERFORMANCE. GOES OVER TO SCORE HIS FIRST. THAT WAS LOVELY PLAY. AND AI TAKING IT A STEP FURTHER, WITH JOYSTICK AND SENSOR CONTROLS. IT'S NOT TRICKLED DOWN, IN THE SLIGHTEST, TO GENERAL WHEELCHAIR ETIQUETTE IN NZ. DISABILITY ADVOCATE AYO MARTINS SAYS OUR ATTITUDE NEEDS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE TECH. I'VE ENDED UP HAVING PEOPLE PUSH MY WHEELCHAIR WITHOUT MY PERMISSION, TAKE MY WHEELCHAIR ON JOYRIDES. I'VE HAD PEOPLE LEANING ON MY WHEELCHAIR AND TILTING IT BACK IN AN UNSAFE MANNER. AND WELL-MEANING BYSTANDERS NEED TO HAVE A HMM. SO IF I COME UP, YOU'RE NOT AWARE I'M HERE, ARE YOU? APART FROM THE FACT THAT YOU CAN HEAR ME. NO. TILL I GET TO ABOUT HERE. YEAH, YEAH. SO IF I WAS JUST TO GRAB YOU? IT'S ALMOST LIKE A JUMP SCARE IN A HORROR MOVIE. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S COMING OR WHERE IT'S COMING FROM. AYO SAYS HE FEARS DISABLED PEOPLE WON'T CALL IT OUT. MOST DISABLED PEOPLE USING WHEELCHAIRS TEND TO SUCK IT UP, FOR FEAR OF BEING PERCEIVED AS RUDE OR ARROGANT. BUT HE BELIEVES IT CAN ACTUALLY HAVE A HUGE EFFECT ON SELF-ESTEEM. GOING OUT OF YOUR WAY TO INTERFERE WITH SOMEONE TRYING TO TRANSPORT THEMSELVES CAN HARM AND HINDER RATHER THAN HELP. SARAH PUTS IT MORE BLUNTLY. PUSHING SOMEBODY IN A WHEELCHAIR WITHOUT ASKING IS AKIN TO PICKING UP AN ABLE-BODIED PERSON AND CARRYING THEM, WHICH YOU JUST WOULDN'T DO. SO THE ANSWER IS SIMPLE ` JUST ASK. FROM 'ONCE WERE WARRIORS' TO 'JAMES BOND', LEE TAMAHORI IS ONE OF OUR MOST ACCOMPLISHED FILM DIRECTORS. AND NOW HE'S TURNED HIS LENS BACK ON NEW ZEALAND WITH A STORY ABOUT A TIME IN OUR HISTORY THAT WE DON'T OFTEN SEE. (SOFT, TENSE MUSIC) ONLY THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN AT SEA TRULY GRASP THE ENORMITY OF THIS WORLD. 1830... MR MUNRO. WELCOME TO EPWORTH. THANK YOU. PRE-COLONIAL AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND ` NOT EXACTLY ST PAUL'S BUT... YOU'LL MAKE SOMETHING OF IT. AN EPIC HISTORICAL DRAMA. (ROARS) KO TE TOTO ANAKE KAUTUI TE TOTO. WELL, IT WAS IMPORTANT TO ME THAT WE BE AS AUTHENTIC AS POSSIBLE ABOUT A PERIOD WE KNOW VERY LITTLE ABOUT ` NO PHOTOGRAPHS, NO... NOTHING BUT SKETCHES AND DRAWINGS. (WARRIORS SHOUT) A TIME WHERE MAORI HEAVILY OUTNUMBERED SETTLERS... WHAT DO YOU WANT? IT WAS IMPORTANT TO ME THAT WE UNDERSTOOD WHAT IT WAS LIKE FOR THE FIRST EUROPEAN SETTLERS TO BE SURROUNDED BY THOUSANDS OR TENS OF THOUSANDS OF MAORI, AND THERE'S ONLY ABOUT 35 OR 40 OF THEM. ...WHEN TE REO MAORI WAS DOMINANT... AND TRIBAL WARFARE WAS RIFE. PEACE CANNOT BY ACHIEVED THROUGH VIOLENCE. AWARD-WINNING ACTOR GUY PEARCE PLAYS MUNRO, A SOLDIER TURNED LAY PREACHER WHO IS CONVERTED BY A POWERFUL RANGATIRA, MAIANUI. (SCREAMS) HE'S GIVEN THE TASK OF BEING THE LAY PREACHER OF THIS SORT OF OUTPOST... WHITE, UM, YOU KNOW, PRE-COLONIAL LITTLE TOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE ` NOWHERE TO HIM. HE SORT OF SLOWLY WAKES UP TO THE REALITY OF THAT WORLD, AND... AND OF COURSE, THROUGH THE SERIES OF EVENTS IN THE FILM, HE... I THINK FINDS SOME PURPOSE AND FINDS HIS OWN... SENSE OF SELF. THE AUSSIE ACTOR HAS STARRED IN OVER 400 EPISODES OF 'NEIGHBOURS' AND MOVIES LIKE 'THE KING'S SPEECH', 'L.A. CONFIDENTIAL' AND 'MEMENTO'... HOW LONG HAVE I BEEN LOOKING? ...BUT HIS BREAKOUT ROLE WAS IN 'THE ADVENTURES OF PRISCILLA, 'QUEEN OF THE DESERT'. PLUMMY BRITISH ACCENT: MUMMY, MAYBE A TRIP TO THE OUTBACK'D HELP ME GET OVER THIS LITTLE... PHASE I'M GOING THROUGH. 'AS FAR AS PREPARATION GOES, I MEAN, I... I TEND NOT TO DO REALLY DIFFERENT THINGS ON DIFFERENT JOBS; IT'S JUST THAT EACH JOB, EACH SCRIPT IS VASTLY DIFFERENT FROM THE LAST ONE. YOU KNOW? I MEAN, THE OBVIOUS ONE WAS WHEN WE DID 'PRISCILLA'. AND, YOU KNOW, I PUT THAT FIRST 'PRISCILLA' COSTUME ON AND WENT, 'OK, I DON'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING. (CHUCKLES) THIS... 'THIS FEATHER BOA IS DOING IT ALL FOR ME.' THE PROSPECT OF WORKING WITH LEE TAMAHORI WAS ALL HE NEEDED TO FLY TO AOTEAROA. IT WAS A VERY SPECIAL EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH LEE ` AN INCREDIBLY, INCREDIBLY SENSITIVE AND TOUCHING HUMAN BEING, AND... JUST A SORT OF AN ENCYCLOPAEDIC KNOWLEDGE OF THE WORLD, AND... SO HE'S VERY INSPIRING TO BE AROUND. (BELL CLANGS) MUNRO SAVES THE LIFE OF RANGIMAI, PLAYED BY BREAKTHROUGH STAR TIOREORE NGATAI MELBOURNE. THE YOUNG ACTRESS HAS ALREADY FEATURED IN VARIOUS NEW ZEALAND FILMS, LIKE 'COUSINS' AND 'WHINA'. RO TATOU TENEI WHENUA! SHE'S NOT JUST A CHARACTER; I WOULD SAY THAT SHE'S THE... I GUESS EMBODIMENT OF A LOT OUR TIPUNA BACK IN THOSE DAYS. SO, YEAH, RANGIMAI ` KOIA TE KOTIRO O MAIANUI ` SHE'S MAIANUI'S DAUGHTER, THIS` HE PUHI. YEAH, HE PUHI ` WARRIOR PRINCESS. (BOTH LAUGH) MY WHOLE THING IN TERMS OF 'CONVERT' IS TO CONVERT MY DAUGHTER AND HELP HER TO BECOME THE... BEST LEADER SHE CAN BE, AND TAKE CARE OF MORE PEOPLE THAN I'M TAKING CARE OF, BECAUSE I WANNA UNITE... THE TWO BATTLING FORCES AT THIS POINT. FOLLOWING 'ONCE WERE WARRIORS' AND 'MAHANA', 'THE CONVERT' IS THE THIRD COLLABORATION BETWEEN AWARD-WINNING DIRECTOR LEE TAMAHORI AND PRODUCER ROBIN SCHOLES. RESPECT FOR TIKANGA IS NOT JUST A CONSULTANT COMING IN AND GOING, 'OH,' YOU KNOW. IT'S A WHOLE TEAM. IT HAS TO BE REALLY, LIKE, IN DEPTH. SO EVERY DEPARTMENT HAD MAORI EXPERTISE AND FILM EXPERTISE. AND SO WITH 'THE CONVERT' COMING OUT AT THIS POINT, YOU KNOW, AFTER HAVING SHOT IT SO LONG AGO, IT'S VERY POIGNANT. IT'S VERY POIGNANT. IT'S POINTED ` IT'S VERY POINTED ` BUT IT'S... IT'S HONOURING THE HISTORY THAT EXISTED. IT'S HONOURING THE HISTORY THAT EXISTED. REVENGE, DEATH... GO HAND IN HAND. FIGHT OR YOU DIE. (BANG!) WE DIE AS WARRIORS. (HAUNTING MUSIC) WE'LL BE BACK IN JUST A MOMENT. - Hey, Toyota. - (BABY FUSSES) - WHISPERS: Got something safe? It's kind of a big deal for me now. - Yeah, take your pick! WHISPERS: 'Oh, sorry. 'These all come with Toyota Safety Sense as standard.' - Will it be looking for signs of danger? - Well, yeah. It has a pre-collision system with autonomous emergency braking. - Can it help me stay in my lane? - Actually, it can. (CAR ALARM BEEPS) - (MAN SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY) - Can it help me keep a safe distance from others? - Yep, that too. - Do you do 5am test drives? WELCOME BACK. ON THE SHOW TOMORROW ` YOU MIGHT HAVE GLIMPSED IT FROM THE MOTORWAY ON THE DRIVE OUT OF AUCKLAND ` IT'S ST STEPHEN'S SCHOOL, WHICH HAS BEEN CLOSED FOR OVER 20 YEARS. AND WITH A ROLL CALL OF FAMOUS SPORTS STARS AND POLITICIANS, WHAT FUTURE LEADERS MIGHT THERE BE WHEN THE SCHOOL REOPENS? (SERENE, STATELY MUSIC) THERE'S A GRANDEUR ABOUT THEM ` ALBEIT IN THIS DILAPIDATED STATE, THERE'S A GRANDEUR ABOUT THEM THAT WE WISH TO PRESERVE, TO RECOGNISE AND RESPECT THE HISTORY OF THIS PLACE. THAT'S TOMORROW. PLUS ` ARE YOU DRINKING TEA THAT'S TOO HOT? WHY IT MIGHT BE DOING MORE HARM THAN YOU IMAGINED. YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS THAT. THOSE WERE OUR PEOPLE TODAY; THAT WAS SEVEN SHARP TONIGHT. 'SELLING HOUSES AUSTRALIA' IS UP NEXT. WE'LL SEE YOU TOMORROW. POMARIE. CHEERIO. CAPTIONS BY FAITH HAMBLYN, MAEVE KELLY AND SAM BAKER. CAPTIONS WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF NZ ON AIR. WWW.ABLE.CO.NZ COPYRIGHT ABLE 2024.