From a young Muslim’s journey through grief after the Christchurch terror attack to a Māori photographer’s mission to flood social media with positivity about te ao Māori, the new series Ahi Wānanga shows how people from different cultures find connection in their differences. Re: News speaks to the directors behind the new series.
Director Jessica Sanderson (Ngāti Kahungunu, Te Ātiawa, Pākehā) went through a really long and difficult labour with her first child in 2020.
She says a midwife, who was Muslim, looked after her in what was the “most vulnerable position” to be in right after childbirth.
Not only was the midwife a really cool person who loved interior design, Jess says she also had a warmth and kindness in the way she looked after her that left an indelible impression on her.
“I was like, ‘Who was this angel and why haven’t I had much to do with the Muslim community? I need to.’ And then I met Rouzie,” she says.
A year later, she met fellow director Rouzie Hassanova, who is Pomak (Bulgarian Muslim), during a film writing programme.
Rouzie grew up under communism in Bulgaria and says she witnessed her family face violent persecution.
After the fall of the Berlin Wall, she moved to London at the age of 18. She later met her New Zealander husband, and they moved to Pōneke Wellington eight years ago.
Jessica and Rouzie bonded over their curiosity to learn and understand more about their own cultures and wondered if they could bring that idea on screen.
That sparked the idea for the new series, Ahi Wānanga (the fires of discussion), a six-part web series exploring what identity, belonging and resilience is to 12 young people from Aotearoa’s Muslim and Māori communities.
Each episode features a pair of Māori and Muslim young people with a shared passion in poetry, psychology, photography, sports, art or music. Despite coming from different cultures, they’ve found connection in their differences and similarities.
Re: News journalist Vivien Beduya talked to Jessica and Rouzie about their hope for the new series.
Watch Ahi Wānanga now on TVNZ+ and YouTube.
Vivien: What was your inspiration?
Rouzie: I’ve had the privilege to get to know the Māori community a little bit and go to a few marae and experience the beauty of powhiri.
What stuck with me is the practices that were very similar to Muslim practices, but also the manner and the pride the community had about who they were.
It’s something I’ve never experienced… I was born during communism when we were basically assimilated forcefully into society.
So I was born with a Christian name. My family had their names changed… I’ve grown up with this idea that being me is something I shouldn’t be proud of in public, just in private to myself.
When I witnessed the other side of coming here, I was blown away… Getting to know the [Māori] culture a little bit more and meeting Jess, we started talking.
I just want to change the narrative a little bit around the Muslim community because there’s so much hate. And so much fear, and none of us feel like we can speak up.
Jessica: When something like March 15 happens in your country, I think you have to ask yourself what contribution you’re doing to make sure that doesn’t happen again.
I’m not a politician, so I can’t actively do anything, but I tell stories and maybe that can help in some way.
Vivien: As directors from Māori and Muslim communities, what impact do you hope the series’ portrayal of Māori and Muslim communities will have on viewers?
Rouzie: We wanted to bring understanding. We wanted to allow for this conversation so people can be heard and reflect their knowledge and experience, and allow for a cultural exchange.
Through knowing somebody, that’s the only way you can bring unity and a little bit of compassion.
There’s so much diversity within just saying “Muslim”. There’s so much fluidity, acceptance, non-judgement and beauty because we are all so different.
But what is also common is that humbleness and beauty of human nature people don’t see because they instantly judge you for wearing the hijab or for your name sounding Muslim or the colour of your skin.
Jessica: I hope they realise we’re not homogeneous. Māori aren’t homogeneous.
We all have really unique experiences that are informed by your whānau, hapu, iwi, how far along you are with your reconnection to your reo.
We often get lumped into the “Māori experience” but it’s not really all the same. That doesn’t mean we’re not unified and don’t have kotahitanga.
Vivien: Jessica, was there anything in particular about the Muslim faith or community that left a lasting impact on you?
Jessica: [The Islamic practice of] Sabr.
Rouzie: It’s like practising patience and the humility that comes with it.
Jessica: It’s like the opposite of hustle culture.
Especially as a mum, I was pregnant [throughout the series production] trying to do everything all the time.
Our adviser, Farid, he would remind me even in an email “just slow down”.
It stuck and I think about that a lot – not being so striving all the time, not pouring out all of your energy trying to strive for something. And just allowing more presence, and more acceptance of divine timing.
Vivien: Rouzie, was there anything in particular about the Māori culture that left a lasting impact on you?
Rouzie: The most beautiful thing that always strikes me and grounds me is starting anything we do or the Māori community does with karakia.
That’s something Muslim people often do in private or silent. I find that deeply moving and inspiring and feeds my soul even though I don’t understand everything.
Vivien: Why is this series important for people in Aotearoa to watch right now?
Rouzie: I think globally we are going through a very disturbing trend especially for young people.
It’s very disheartening to see what’s going on because they’re [feeling] so helpless. We have to be able to give people hope, especially inspire them to be who they are and be proud of who they are.
Jessica: I think the Treaty Principles Bill has done something really horrible for our country. Our founding document that we can all be really proud of and find a home in has been very disingenuously framed as something around Māori privilege. That’s bringing up some quite horrible discussions.
Crown and Māori tensions are probably the worst I’ve seen in my lifetime. I worry that people that are just coming to this country are hearing some quite horrible things about Māori that aren’t actually true.
I hope that from watching a series like this that that group of people who have just arrived understand what life is like for tangata whenua.
Vivien: What do you hope the audience will take away from the connection between the interviewees and their different cultures?
Jessica: I hope it sparks a desire for them to step out of their own algorithm and go and have conversations with people that maybe they don’t normally. Be a bit more open to people who aren’t part of their immediate community.
Rouzie: Same, I’ve got nothing else to add. It just takes to say hello, really.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.