Bringing together Māori and Muslim voices on screen

Two budding directors hope their new documentary series about identity and belonging in Aotearoa sow the seeds of change to overcome increasing division around the world.

Ahi Wānanga (meaning 'the fires of discussion') is a six-part web series exploring what identity, belonging and resilience is to 12 young people from Aotearoa’s Muslim and Māori communities.

It was produced and co-directed for Re:News by Jessica Sanderson (Ngāti Kahungunu, Te Ātiawa, Pākehā) and Rouzie Hassanova (Pomak, Bulgarian Muslim).

The pair bonded after Sanderson shared the story of her Muslim midwife who helped her after experiencing a difficult childbirth in 2020.

"It was her [the midwife's] kindness and care during what was a pretty traumatic experience for me [that] really led to me wanting to do something for and with the Muslim community.

"I'm not Muslim, so I didn't feel appropriate to do it on my own and then I met Rouzie.

"We're both mothers, we're both directors, and we're coming at really similar things, similar callings I suppose in our lives, but from different cultural perspectives. We're just really curious and enjoy talking about those different perspectives and so it's that premise that we took to a series."

Each episode focuses on two people who share a passion and come from different walks of life, sharing their thoughts on identity and belonging.

Through their 'fires of discussion', they found shared values and even similar cultural art between the communities, Sanderson says.

"The pātiki design in tukutuku panels being really similar to the design on the exterior of buildings in Yemen, like that was quite surprising to us. Those were two photographers just sharing their work and noticing that.

"But I think something I really love about the show too is where there were differences, there was a lot of respect around that and just curiosity, and I think that's something that we could all learn from in this time of like algorithms and keyboard warriors."

Hassanova says her whakapapa has inspired her story-telling and motivates her to humanise Muslim communities through film. The series celebrates Aotearoa’s manaakitanga and compassion, she says.

"When we started talking about the idea with Jess, we began talking about it because it's so important, especially now with everything going on here and globally.

"There's a lot of tension coming from different sources and so on … when it takes only a conversation really to kind of see what we all share and the human side of us and just kind of understand where people are coming from.

"I mean, even with the latest hīkoi that took place, which was incredibly moving to me by the way, because I've only wished we could do that back home and unite in such a way that we can create change or push for change.

"It's important to talk and understand each other and, as Jess said, to approach this with respect."

Ahi Wānanga, made by Fourplait with the support of NZ On Air, is available now on TVNZ+ and YouTube.