Legendary New Zealand director Lee Tamahori has died at the age of 75, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
In a statement, Tamahori’s family said he died peacefully at home surrounded by his whānau - his long-time love Justine, his children Sam, Max, Meka, and Tané, his daughters-in-law Casey and Meri, his mokopuna Cora Lee, and whānau.
“His legacy endures with his whānau, his mokopuna, every filmmaker he inspired, every boundary he broke, and every story he told with his genius eye and honest heart,” the statement said. “A charismatic leader and fierce creative spirit, Lee championed Māori talent both on and off screen.”
Tamahori directed the Kiwi classic Once Were Warriors, US thriller Along Came A Spider, and James Bond film Die Another Day.
Actor Rena Owen, who played Beth Heke in Once Were Warriors, said Tamahori would “forever rest among our country’s greatest filmmakers”.
“So bless I got to share precious priceless moments with you & your beloved before you passed today,” she said in a social media post. “I will always love you.”
Brian Kassler, who worked with Tamahori in the film industry and started the company Flying Fish with him, said the news was “incredibly sad”.
The NZ Film Commission said it was deeply saddened by Tamahori’s passing. It described him as a visionary director whose work shaped New Zealand’s cinematic identity and resonated around the world.
“Lee’s storytelling brought Māori culture and New Zealand voices to global audiences with power and authenticity,” the Commission said. “His international career cemented his place as a filmmaker of extraordinary range and impact.”
Tamahori was born in Wellington in 1950 and began his career as an artist and photographer before joining the film industry as a boom operator in the late 1970s.
He progressed to making international award-winning commercials for a decade before his feature film debut with Once Were Warriors in 1994.
