UN Movie Society | MĀRAMA – in Celebration of International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples

On 9 August 2026, on the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, the UN Movie Society of the United Nations Staff Recreation Council is honoured to present a special conversation with filmmaker Taratoa Stappard, director of the MĀRAMA. MĀRAMA is a groundbreaking Māori film written and directed by Taratoa Stappard. Set in 1859, it follows a young Māori woman who arrives alone in North Yorkshire, England, only to discover that the grand manor she now inhabits holds stolen Māori treasures, dark secrets, and a horrifying truth about her own colonial heritage. As she unravels it all, she reclaims her identity, her ancestral spiritual powers, and her right to justice. MĀRAMA premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2025 and has since captivated festival audiences around the world. Speaking directly to the United Nations' commitment to the rights, dignity, and self-determination of Indigenous Peoples, MĀRAMA is a fitting centrepiece for the UN Movie Society’s commemoration of the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples. The International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples reminds us that no sustainable future is possible without justice for Indigenous Peoples – justice for their land, their languages, and their cultures – and calls on us to recognize the resilience, knowledge, and contributions of the world's Indigenous communities. MĀRAMA embodies that call: a story of a young Māori woman who reclaims her identity, her ancestral power, and her right to justice in the face of colonial violence and cultural theft. Movies hold the unique power to promote universal ideals, principles, and values so deeply enshrined by the United Nations, including peace, development, respect for human rights, cultural appreciation, the dignity of the human person, and equal rights for all. Founded at the United Nations Headquarters by Brenda Vongova, the UN Movie Society is committed to championing the goals and values of the United Nations through the universal language of motion pictures.


For more information or to watch video on YouTube, click here!