About
Taika Waititi, born August 16, 1975, in Raukokore, is a New Zealand filmmaker of Māori (Te Whānau-ā-Apanui) and Jewish descent. After studying theater at Victoria University of Wellington, he gained recognition in the 1990s with the comedy duo The Humourbeasts. His short film Two Cars, One Night (2003) was nominated for an Oscar. He then directed acclaimed films such as Boy (2010), What We Do in the Shadows (2014), and Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016). He achieved international fame with Thor: Ragnarok (2017) and won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for Jojo Rabbit (2019), becoming the first Māori to win in that category. He was appointed Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2020.
* 1975-08-16
Major works
- Boy (2010)film
- What We Do in the Shadows (2014)film
- Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)film
- Thor: Ragnarok (2017)film
- Jojo Rabbit (2019)film
Key milestones
- 2005Academy Award nomination for the short film Two Cars, One Night.
- 2017Named New Zealander of the Year.
- 2020Appointed Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
Themes
Absurd humorCultural identityFamilyComing-of-ageSatire
Sources: britannica.com · nzonscreen.com