He Kōrihi - Short Film Post-Production

He Kōrihi began with a simple but deeply human idea: What if the voice of someone you lost could still be heard in the birdsong around you?

Set on Kāpiti Island and performed entirely in Te Reo Māori. A son returns to Kāpiti Island after his father’s passing, hoping to hear his voice once more.

“He Kōrihi” translates to “Birdsong”. For this story, sound is memory. Sound is presence. Sound is connection to those who came before us.

Through community support, sacrifice, and an extraordinary collective effort from cast and crew, we successfully captured the footage to bring the film to life becoming the first narrative film ever shot there.

Now, deep in post-production, the film is becoming what we always hoped it could be.

The performances are powerful and intimate. The imagery is beautifully shot and deeply emotional. The soundscape will become the soul of the film itself.

Featuring Jordi Webber (Spartacus) and Rob Kipa-Williams (Home & Away), He Kōrihi is a story grounded in grief, whakapapa, memory, and connection to place — told entirely through the lens of Te Reo Māori.

Now we need your help to finish it properly. We’re raising funds for the final stages of post-production.

Every contribution helps, and if donating isn’t possible right now, sharing the campaign still makes a huge difference to us. Thank you for supporting independent filmmaking. Thank you for supporting storytelling in Te Reo Māori. And thank you for helping us bring He Kōrihi fully into the world.

He Kōrihi Team