Leading NZ filmmaker, Merata, was one of the co-producers of the film Boy which was hugely successful. However her colourful career spanned over 30 years and she directed and produced many documentaries in both New Zealand and overseas. Significantly, in 1983, she became the first woman to direct a feature-length documentary in the country and received the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2010 new year's honours list. She died suddenly after collapsing outside aTV station in Auckland. She is survived by six children and her grandchildren.