This is Not Dying

The story

This is not Dying is an experimental film by Nova Paul which she describes as a love song to her whānau (family). Filmed on the artist’s home marae (communal space) in Porotī, north of Auckland, it documents whānau members as they go about their everyday activities. From setting tables in the dining hall for a family gathering, to moments in a shed fixing bikes, to swimming in the local spring, the film typifies the activities of marae life that become memorable moments and create enduring impressions. It is accompanied by a nostalgic soundtrack offered by renowned Māori musician Ben Tawhiti, who plays ‘Whakarongo Mai’ on slide and steel guitar. Ethereal images of people move in and out of view like shadows or ghostly watermarks – at once present and absent – as the camera tracks across the land. This echoes the Māori proverb *Whatungarongaro te tangata toitū te whenua — People are lost from sight but the land remains*.