JUST as we have ‘new world’ wines, so too we have ‘new world’ films.
In an important show of self-determination, these fledgling film-makers are taking ownership of their own people’s stories and sharing them with the rest of us.
And the diversity the non-traditional territories is adding to the ‘world cinema’ genre is rather exciting, with new discoveries to be had about countries and cultures we know so little about.
Earning two gongs at the Venice International Film Festival 2011, The Orator is the first ever feature film made in Samoa – perhaps best known for its stereotyped pristine beaches and burly rugby players – by Samoans (in association with the New Zealand Film Commission).
It tells the story of Saili (Fa’afiaula Sanote), a dwarfed taro farmer who lives in a small village with his wife, Vaaiga (Tausili Pushparaj), and Vaaiga’s daughter, Litia (Salamasina Mataia).
They live an isolated existence – Vaaiga has been banished from her ancestral village while Saili faces challenges of his own, with his parents’ resting place and plantation under threat from feuding families.
When tragedy strikes, Saili must drawn on all his inner-strength to speak out and stand up for what he believes in: love and loyalty.
The Orator is by no means a stroke of genius from director Tusi Tamasese, but it is a beautifully shot and heartfelt drama (the tropical lusciousness of the Pacific paradise is a delight to watch), offering an intimately microcosmic insight into a staunchly proud people guided by deep-rooted tribal values of faith and family.
THE Orator (TBC)
Directed by: Tusi Tamasese
Starring: Fa’afiaula Sanote, Tausili Pushparaj and Salamasina Mataia
Screening: Joondalup Pines from January 24-25 and 27-29, at 8pm, as part of PIAF’s Lotterywest Festival Films
Rating: Three-and-a-half stars
Reviewed by: Emilia Vranjes