FACE VALUE
Film Installation (38 minutes)
Face Value is a 38-minute documentary film installation by New Zealand artist Serena Stevenson an intimate experince of the contemporary resurgence of Māori facial tā moko. Begun in 2000, it was one of the earliest long-form documentary projects to document this cultural renaissance. At a time when international media often portrayed Māori facial moko through stereotypes, Stevenson chose instead to focus on the personal stories of those reclaiming this sacred practice.
Over ten years, Stevenson built trusted relationships with tā moko practitioners and recipients, documenting the intimate connection between artist and wearer. Rather than examining the politics or anthropology of tā moko, the film reveals what facial moko means to each individual - their identity, whakapapa, belonging and personal journey. This relationship-centred approach offers a rare and deeply human perspective on one of Aotearoa New Zealand's most significant cultural revivals.
"The work highlights the strength of human-to-human connections and how this deeply personal contact is essential in the exchange of facial moko. It reminds us that unity is impossible if we judge one another by face value alone." - Serena Stevenson
