Adapted from
The Merchant of Venice. Directed by Don C. Selwyn. Starring Waihoroi Shortland, Ngarimu Daniels, Veeshayne Armstrong, Te Rangihau Gilbert, Scott Morrison. Māori with English subtitles. Colour. 158 minutes.
This film adaptation of Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice is the first feature-length film in Te Reo (the Māori language) as well as the first cinematic adaptation of a Shakespeare play from New Zealand. It was produced by the Māori television and film production company Ha Taonga Films and is acted by an almost entirely Māori cast (with the notable exception of Portia's unsuccessful suitors). In place of Shakespeare's Renaissance Venice, the film takes place in a fictional Māori equivalent named Weniti. Weniti is a peculiar hybrid of Māori and European cultures,
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Citation: Vyroubalova, Ema. "The Maori Merchant of Venice (2002) - film adaptation of Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 06 March 2020 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=19400, accessed 20 April 2024.]
