MAPACA

Mid-Atlantic Popular &
American Culture Association

Taika Waititi is a comedic filmmaker that can make an audience laugh and five seconds later have them in crying due to a sad moment. He has excelled at creating works that fit the term “Happy Sad Cinema”, incorporating themes of adolescence into his work. The adolescents in his stories are always outsiders, which he has said that he is more attracted to than those at the forefront of society. Taking on the subject of growing up and adding a bit of comedy is something of a staple in Taika Waititi’s films. Specifically his films Boy (2010) and Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016). These films were major breakthroughs for the Maori people of New Zealand, as they both have young Maori boys as the leads in the films and they were both the highest grossing films in New Zealand upon their release. No film has yet to out-gross Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016), and Boy (2010) is still right behind it in second place. People all over the world have come to love his mashing of emotions to create two beautiful comedies about coming of age. Adolescence is universal so people see themselves in these characters. His stories are real because of his use of happiness tinged with sad moments. Waititi doesn’t let his audiences see his films in black and white, especially his film Boy (2010). There are always gray areas in his films thus making his worlds more three-dimensional as opposed to what one might expect in a comedy. Taika Waititi has created important films that discuss various topics, specifically telling stories about growing up through the use of comedy and sadness to create beautiful stories that have spoken to many.