Taika Waititi

Personal context

Summary

Taika Waititi is a New Zealand filmmaker, actor, and producer known for comedies including Boy, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, What We Do in the Shadows, and Thor: Ragnarok. His work often combines humor with stories about outsiders and Māori and other Indigenous communities; he co-created Reservation Dogs and has spoken about making Indigenous people more visible in film. Waititi has worked with New Zealand’s Human Rights Commission on anti-racism campaigns, criticized Hollywood’s lack of representation, and dedicated his Oscar screenplay award to Indigenous children. He has also discussed LGBTQ stories and fa’afafine identity in connection with Next Goal Wins.