Celebrating clumsiness

“Maori get pigeonholed into the idea they’re spiritual and telling stories like Whale Rider and Once were Warriors, quite serious stuff, but we’re pretty funny people and we never really have had an opportunity to show that side of ourselves, the clumsy, nerdy side of ourselves, which is something I am,” director of the box office hit Boy Taika Waititi says. Waititi is something more than clumsy and nerdy. The 35-year-old has a background in painting and photography, having exhibited in Wellington and Berlin. The semi-autobiographical Boy was the first, tentative screenplay he wrote as he mulled the prospect of being able to move from shorts to feature films. He has also just finished filming a performance in the big-budget studio superhero film, Green Lantern, and expects a sequel to follow. “I think I’m a better filmmaker than actor, so I already know that,” Waititi says. “That’s OK; I can handle not being a famous actor.”