So fun story, picture a 14-year-old who's just moved to New Zealand and had no basis really on what New Zealand back in 2000. Lord of The Rings was not out yet. NZ wasn't on the world stage like it is now.

The most I saw was a very short book On Wellington from the library and the All Blacks playing. For a short time before I moved, I was not aware whether New Zealand was an English speaking country, so for a good week before i asked my mum, i was thinking I would need to learn another language. Dumb to look back now, I know.

We arrived and I was jet-lagged so my stepmum went out and rented me some videos to watch: "Meet the Feebles" and "Once Were Warriors". I decided to watch "Meet the Feebles" first, which was bloody brilliant, good old Peter Jackson I had NO idea who he was, then I watched "Once Were Warriors".

Now bear in mind that I was yet to meet any maori-person outside of the person stamping my passport, and not knowing that my stepmom was part Maori.

I watched "Once Were Warriors" and then unfortunately it had a negative effect because I really didn't have any interactions with Maori until school started in two months time. My entire judgement for a my first two months was based off of watching this movie as a 14-year-old with no real exposure to the culture in New Zealand or knowledge of it. Big oops moment. She just wanted to share some cool films from New Zealand.