Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago

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Taratoa Stappard's feature film debut, Mārama, starts playing in theaters in the U.S. on Friday, April 17.

In conversation with the writer and director, The Nerds of Color spoke to Stappard about how Jordan Peele's Get Out served as inspiration, the experience of filming in Aotearoa New Zealand, the significance of having Watermelon Pictures as the film's distributor, and what he's been hearing from female audience members who've seen Mārama.

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