Director Lee Tamahori Dies at 75

Lee Tamahori, the acclaimed New Zealand director known for his breakthrough film Once Were Warriors and the James Bond installment Die Another Day, has died at the age of 75. He passed away peacefully at his home surrounded by family after a long battle with Parkinson's disease, according to a statement from his loved ones shared with Radio New Zealand.

Tamahori's family described him as a charismatic leader and fierce creative spirit who championed Māori talent both on and off screen. "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 read. It concluded by noting his return to New Zealand for projects rooted in cultural identity: "He ultimately returned home to tell stories grounded in whakapapa and identity, with Mahana and his latest film The Convert, reaffirming his deep connection to Aotearoa. We've lost an immense creative spirit."

Born Warren Lee Tamahori on June 17, 1950, in Wellington, he was of Māori descent through his father and British ancestry via his mother. Raised in the suburb of Tawa, Tamahori entered the film industry in the late...