As part of the Human Rights Commission’s Give Nothing to Racism campaign, the filmmaker has recorded real racist comments directed at New Zealanders.
The recordings feature in an interactive website where people can hear and learn more about the history of racism in New Zealand and find helpful resources.
More than 200 people shared their experiences to create the Voice of Racism.
“These were curated into a collection of everyday experiences, to represent the racism that exists in the lives of many,” explains The Human Rights Commission.
“These moments became ‘The Voice of Racism’, one collective voice that articulated the racism people exhibit intentionally and unintentionally.”
“You look like the shoplifting type” and “you speak funny” are some of the real-life comments that can be heard from the campaign.
Waititi first joined the Give Nothing to Racism Campaign in 2017, after winning his New Zealander of the Year Award.
The Oscar-winning actor, who is of Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, Jewish and Irish descent, also spoke with Dazed and Confused magazine in 2018, saying New Zealand is “racist as f***”.
Race Relations Commissioner Meng Foon says he hopes the campaign will encourage New Zealanders to listen to the “voice of racism” and take into account their own behaviour.
“We hope they will change their view, change their behaviour, [start] calling out racism,” Foon told Stuff.
“It’s nice that you feel good that you’ve been to a protest march but what is your next step? I encourage your next step is to put what you believe into action and if you run an organisation, do you actually have anti-racism policies in your organisation? Do you call out racism when it happens?”
