The story of Dame Whina Cooper, the beloved Māori matriarch who worked tirelessly to improve the rights of her people, especially women. Flawed yet resilient, Whina tells the story of a woman formed by tradition, compelled by innovation, and guided by an instinct for equality and justice whose legacy as the Te Whaea o te Motu (Mother of the Nation) was an inspiration to an entire country.
Whina is a New Zealand biographical film about the life of Whina Cooper. Written by James Lucas, James Napier Robertson and Paula Whetu Jones, and directed by Robertson and Jones, the film stars Rena Owen, Miriama McDowell and Tioreore Ngatai-Melbourne as Cooper in different stages of her life.
