Takahoa celebrates representation and inclusivity with both the storyline and withing the company Photo: supplied
Two young wāhine have kicked-off their new production company, showing young people it is possible.
Jess Sewell and Monet Bailey-Ngatai have both experienced what it's like to work in the film industry, enduring a steep learning curve often laced with anxiety.
"It's hard because I feel like the film industry is pretty tough on younger emerging people, so it's hard finding that support," Bailey-Ngatai said.
Just a few weeks ago, the pair officially registered their new company, Overwhelmed Productions, with hopes to create an environment more like a safe space.
The name 'Overwhelmed' is drawn from their own encounters with mental health.
"We kind of just wanted to call it Overwhelmed Productions because of how we feel all the time,' Sewell said.
"It just felt very fitting. Because I feel like everyone in our age group [gets] overwhelmed," Bailey-Ngatai said.
Jess Sewell and Monet Bailey-Ngatai at their meet and greet, happy-hour gathering on Tuesday evening. Photo: RNZ / Layla Bailey-McDowell
Their debut coming-of-age five-part YouTube series, Takahoa, follows five childhood friends who navigate love, family drama, and self-discovery as they transition into adulthood and is told through the lens of young Māori, Pasifika, Pan-Asian, women, and queer.
They've launched a crowdfunding campaign to support production.
If Takahoa goes well, they'll use it as proof of concept to pitch to funding bodies such as New Zealand On Air.
From producers to actors to media managers, there are already 21 kaimahi, or 'hoamahi' (work friends) on board their kaupapa, all between the ages of 22 and 27.
And they are looking to take Overwhelmed overseas.
"Ambitiously, we want to go worldwide. We still represent New Zealand, but we were like thinking the other day, what if there was a Kiwi in Singapore? Or a Kiwi in America?" Sewell said.
In 2022, Sewell and Bailey-Ngatai both did the film and TV production diploma at South Seas Film School. It's where they met, fell for each other, and have lived a true 'university love story' since.
But being in the film industry was not the original goal.
"That is it for everyone in film. They are suddenly like 'I want to do film' and they drop their entire lives," Bailey-Ngatai said.
Some of the cast hanging out and exploring window art Photo: supplied
Sewell envisioned herself some day in the police force, following in the footsteps of her aunty who was a detective.
An opening had cropped up in police case management, but during her time with her hometown police in Napier, the anti-police ACAB movement was in full swing.
So, she decided to take her skill set to Auckland where things didn't change but got worse.
"It was really interesting to see what it is like for the civilians - and then to be in that culture in the police - I was like, this is probably not what I want to do.
"I wanted to help people in some way, but I think police is not the way for me to help people."
Cultural connecting through film
Napier is diverse, Sewell said, owing to her experience with the Māori culture.
"I was always just around the Māori culture and the language, and my school always spoke [te reo Māori] and sang songs."
An experience her partner longed for.
Bailey-Ngatai grew up 'on and off' between Asia and Auckland.
Her mum is New Zealand-raised, Singapore-based fashion designer Tessa Lont - the creator of Lontessa.
A model walks the runway in a design by Lontessa during the Go Media MIROMODA 2023 show during New Zealand Fashion Week in Auckland. Photo: Getty Images for NZ Fashion Week/Dave Rowland
Although her mum's label is somewhat of a connection to te ao Māori, Bailey-Ngatai still felt disconnected from her culture.
"I never really wanted to talk about being Māori, because I've always felt very avoidant to being Māori... because I never felt like I was Māori enough or because I was a bit more white-passing, and then I felt like I couldn't fit in."
She was a kid that moved around a lot but managed to go to high school in New Zealand.
"I dropped out of high school and I moved out of home. I moved to Auckland with my friend, and then I went back and forth between Auckland and my nanas in Taranaki.
"I'm really close with my nana. So, whenever things get hard, I was like, 'Nana, I'm coming home'."
And when she got into film, it was her chance to tap into her feelings of disconnection.
Manaia Judd acts as Hana - the kind-hearted people pleaser, and Nabeelah Khan who plays the fiercely independent Sam. Photo: supplied
"With Takahoa, the first season is about Hana, a main character, feeling that same way about being Māori, and she's quite disconnected from her culture.
"And then she kind of realises that there's not really such a thing as being Māori enough, because you're just Māori. So, for me, initially, I never really wanted to talk about that, because it felt very personal to me."
She has also leant on her partner for guidance.
"Jess has helped me a lot come to terms with my uncomfortable feelings around being Māori, and kind of helped me embrace them a bit more because at the end of the day, I am Māori."
The couple have very creative and on-the-go minds, they said it could be hard to switch off.
Although Bailey-Ngatai said it had also been rewarding.
"I think we spend almost every hour of the day thinking about our show and our company, and I don't get tired of it."
Behind the scenes: Georgia Benton, who plays Marley in Takahoa, getting make up touch ups Photo: supplied
They both are big consumers of stories in any storytelling format, such as video games, books, movies, shows, you name it. It gives them time to take a load off.
"When we get a bit overwhelmed, we check out. We'll put our phones away and then we'll just play video games," Sewell said.
"I mean it's like re-immersing in another story."
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