Documentary Premiere: Motuhaketanga: Wāhine Māori, Incarceration And Life Outside The Wire – On Māori+ & Whakaata Māori

Me aro koe ki te hā o hine-ahu-one 
(Pay heed to the dignity, breath, and essence of womanhood.)

An intimate, compelling two-part documentary delves into the transformative journeys of three wāhine Māori as they prepare to leave prison and begin the raw process of rebuilding their lives, their identities, and their futures.

MOTUHAKETANGA - independence, self-determination, self-rule

Premieres Monday 23 June at 8.30PM on Whakaata Māori and MĀORI+.

Producer / director Kathleen Mantel, of Black Iris Productions says the documentary is a testament to the strength and resilience of wāhine Māori.

At the centre of Motuhaketanga is the year-long journey of Arohatonu, Tristin, and Lesley.

We meet them on the inside, watch them step back into te ao mārama, and witness them face the real work – regaining the trust of whānau, reconnecting with tamariki, and confronting the intergenerational trauma that shadows their every move.

This documentary challenges viewers to reflect on the role of the justice system, and more broadly, the role we all play in either perpetuating or healing the harm done to wāhine Māori. Our aim is to spark conversations about the systemic changes needed to support women and their communities.

Motuhaketanga is not your typical crime story. “It is a human story—of colonisation's legacy, of systems built to punish rather than heal.

“At 68% of the female prison population, Māori women are one the most incarcerated groups of women in the world. At some point are we going to address the reasons why?” asks Kathleen Mantel.

The high rates of incarceration of wāhine Māori are reflected in other indigenous communities throughout the world.

Motuhaketanga is a portrait of the trickle-down effect of colonisation on Māori women, and their children today.

· More than 80% of wāhine Māori in prison face substance abuse issues,

· 75% have diagnosed mental health conditions

· 52% live with PTSD

· Three out of four have experienced family violence, rape, or sexual assault.

“It’s a story about the importance of mothers in the family unit, and three strong women taking back control of their lives,” says Kathleen Mantel.

MOTUHAKETANGA PART ONE: INSIDE THE WIRE

We meet Arohatonu and Tristin as they prepare for release—unpacking the traumas that landed them there, the fear and hope wrapped into walking out, and what awaits on the other side. For some, prison has been a place of structure; for others, a further wound. Either way, freedom is far from simple.

MOTUHAKETANGA PART TWO: OUTSIDE THE WIRE

On release day, the world doesn't magically open its arms. We follow Arohatonu, Tristin, and Lesley through the painful, joyful, and mundane realities of life post-prison: probation check-ins, job hunting, broken trust, birthday parties, child reunifications, and quiet moments of doubt and pride. This is the long game of reintegration—and the slow reclaiming of mana.

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