October 15th Solidarity - Remember the state terror raids

Film Screening to raise money for the people arrested in the state terrorist raids and their whanau.

7:30pm at The Old School Arts Centre, Stewart Street, Raglan

Patu: As the start of the 1981 Springbok tour approached, Maori filmmaker, Merata Mita, conceived of a 25 minute documentary about how passive protest could affect the NZRFU’s decision to continue with the 1981 Tour.

The documentary would eventually become 110 minutes long and involve more than 16 field camera operators. Completed, the film documented how thousands of everyday New Zealanders – Maori and Pakeha, children and grandparents, clergymen and gang members – demonstrated their disgust at apartheid and their dissatisfaction with New Zealand’s race relations. At first peaceful, the protests became increasingly violent as hundreds of police and army personnel were mobilised to ensure the tour went on. Filmed throughout the winter of 1981, Patu!’s world premiere was held at the Wellington Film Festival in 1983.