Lee Tamahori, director of Once Were Warriors and James Bond movie Die Another Day, dies aged 75

"Lee Tamahori, the New Zealand director of Once Were Warriors and Die Another Day, has died aged 75. In a statement to Radio New Zealand, Tamahori's family said he had Parkinson's and died peacefully at home. They added: His legacy endures with his whanau [family], his mokopuna [grandchild], every film-maker he inspired, every boundary he broke, and every story he told with his genius eye and honest heart."

"Born in Wellington, New Zealand in 1950, of mixed Maori and British ancestry, Tamahori worked his way up through the Australian and New Zealand film industry in the 1970s and 80s, crewing on a number of films for Geoff Murphy (including Goodbye Pork Pie and The Quiet Earth) and acting as first assistant director for Nagisa Oshima on the high-profile international production Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence."

"Tamahori broke into directing features with Once Were Warriors, a tough drama about the brutality of life for a Maori family struggling to survive in Auckland. On its release in 1994 it became New Zealand's highest grossing film and went on to make an international impact. As a result, Tamahori was hired to make period noir Mulholland Falls, starring Nick Nolte and Chazz Palminteri, to moderate acclaim and box office."

Lee Tamahori died aged 75; his family said he had Parkinson's and died peacefully at home. His family described a legacy that endures with his whanau, mokopuna, inspired filmmakers, and the boundaries he broke. Born in Wellington in 1950 of mixed Māori and British ancestry, he advanced through the Australian and New Zealand film industries in the 1970s and 1980s, crewing on projects for Geoff Murphy and serving as first assistant director for Nagisa Oshima on Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence. He broke into directing with Once Were Warriors, which became New Zealand's highest grossing film in 1994, then moved into international films including Mulholland Falls, The Edge, Along Came a Spider and the James Bond film Die Another Day.

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