An emotional new documentary airing on TVNZ tomorrow, Anzac Day, highlights the story of a man who served in the Cook Islands during World War II.
Coastwatcher - Operation Pacific follows Willie Cuthers as he traces the footsteps of his maternal grandfather who, as a 16-year-old boy, served as a Coastwatcher during the war.
Some people may know about New Zealand's Coastwatchers, in part because 17 of them were executed by Japanese forces on the Gilbert Islands - now called Kiribati. Other stories, however, had disappeared into history and weren't told much at the time.
This new documentary is about fighting for recognition for those stories, Mr Cuthers told TVNZ1's Breakfast this morning.
"There's new storytellers now, I'm one of them," he said.
"Unearthing why that story isn't told, hasn't been told over the years but that's how we move forward. We look at things and we address them and learning about history and correcting is a great thing."
Mr Cuther's, who has a Masters in indigenous studies, said it was especially apparent during the Covid-19 pandemic how people unite amidst tragedy, "but really we shouldn't wait for the tragedy to be able to unite".
Coastwatcher - Operation Pacific airs on TVNZ 1 at 10.10am tomorrow, Anzac day, as well as at TVNZ OnDemand.
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