Industry Spotlight – Taika Waititi
Niamh Walsh shares her love for one of Hollywood’s most beloved contemporary filmmakers.
Taika Waititi exploded onto the Hollywood scene in 2017 with the Marvel blockbuster Thor: Ragnarok, immediately cementing his status as a comedic genius after transforming what was arguably one of the most boring MCU storylines into a fan favourite with his unique and captivating directing style.
He is a master of the bittersweet, creating unexpected comedy against a backdrop of affectionate characterization…
With five feature films to date, not including the highly anticipated release of JoJo Rabbit (2020), and his award-winning 2004 short film Two Cars, One Night, Waititi is certainly not a fresh face in the film industry; however his distinct approach to directing has recently reinvigorated the dramedy genre within Hollywood, exploring the nature of humanity, the intersections between tragedy and comedy and why these themes prove so endearing to the viewer.
Waititi describes his films as “a fine balance between comedy and drama, dealing mainly with the clumsiness of humanity”, and whilst his five films vary in scope and subject matter, they share uniting factors: an interest in the underdogs and outsiders, and a self-referential comedic quality that never gets in the way of real feeling – setting him apart from other filmmakers. He is a master of the bittersweet, creating unexpected comedy against a backdrop of affectionate characterization to find a poignancy based around the escapism of imagination.
