Age: 50
male
Taika David Cohen ONZM (born 16 August 1975), known professionally as Taika Waititi(/ˈtaɪkə ˈwaɪtɪti/ TY-kə WY-tee-tee), is a New Zealand filmmaker, actor and comedian. He is known for directing quirky comedy films and has expanded his career as a voice actor and producer on numerous projects. He has received multiple accolades, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award and a Grammy Award. Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2022. His feature films Boy (2010) and Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016) have each been the top-grossing New Zealand film. Waititi's 2003 short film Two Cars, One Night earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Live Action Short Film. He co-wrote, co-directed and starred in the horror comedy film What We Do in the Shadows (2014) with Jemaine Clement, which was adapted into a television series of the same name in 2019. The series has been nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series. His directing credits include the superhero films Thor: Ragnarok (2017) and Thor: Love and Thunder (2022), as well as the black comedy film Jojo Rabbit (2019), the last of which he also wrote and starred in as an imaginary version of Adolf Hitler. Jojo Rabbit received six Academy Award nominations and won Best Adapted Screenplay. Waititi also earned a Grammy Award for producing the film's soundtrack. In television, Waititi co-created and produced the comedy-drama series Reservation Dogs and directed, produced, and starred in the comedy Our Flag Means Death. In addition to directing an episode of The Mandalorian series, he voiced the character IG-11, for which he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance. Description above from the Wikipedia article Taika Waititi, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Taika Waititi
Director
for Director in Somewhere Over the Rainbow: The Braddah IZ Story
Suggested by kamsismith
"Somewhere Over the Rainbow: The Braddah IZ Story" is a moving and inspiring biopic that captures the life, struggles, and transcendent legacy of Israel Kamakawiwoʻole—an artist whose music touched millions and a cultural icon who carried the spirit of Hawaii in every note. From his humble beginnings in Honolulu’s working-class neighborhoods to his rise as a beloved Hawaiian musician, the film delves into IZ’s unwavering dedication to his culture, his family, and his dream of sharing Hawaii’s story with the world. We follow his journey through the streets of Makaha, where he found his voice and a brotherhood in music with the Makaha Sons of Niʻihau, to the recording studio where his haunting medley of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World” became a global sensation. But this isn’t just a story of fame—it’s a deeply personal exploration of a man grappling with the pressures of his growing success, his health struggles, and the weight of being a cultural ambassador for Hawaii. As IZ faces his battles, his music becomes a beacon of hope, resilience, and aloha, inspiring his people to stand proud of their heritage and bringing a message of unity and love to a fractured world.
