Samoan-language musical A Dollar to Dream wins two awards in New York

“For me, the recognition reinforces that our stories don’t need to become less Samoan in order to travel.”

A 30-minute musical made in Apia and performed entirely in Gagana Samoa has taken Samoa to the other side of the world, winning two awards at the Pacific Island Film Festival in New York.

A Dollar to Dream was named Best Short Film and also received the Kim Taylor Reece Cinematic Vision Award, bringing an unexpected end to the film’s time at the festival.

For the team behind the film, the recognition was significant not only because it came in New York, but because of what the film represents.

Made with a local cast, a predominantly Samoan crew and in partnership with TV3 Samoa, A Dollar to Dream was created through the Aotearoa New Zealand Pacific Regional Media Fund, a partnership between NZ On Air and Pasifika TV.

The project was designed to create opportunities for Pacific creatives to develop and produce stories in the region, rather than having Pacific stories created elsewhere and simply brought back to the islands.

“To take this little film we made on the streets of Apia all the way to New York and come home with two awards is pretty surreal,” the film’s producer says.

“I’m incredibly proud of everyone who trusted the project and helped us bring it to life. We had an incredible team and made this film all with local cast, a predominantly Samoan crew, and its spoken all in Gagana Samoa.”

At the centre of the film is Tone, a young street vendor in Apia who dreams of becoming a singer while also trying to help provide for his family.

The story gave the filmmakers an opportunity to showcase Samoa through a story made with people who live and work there, while bringing together talent from both Samoa and Aotearoa New Zealand.

Rather than treating Samoa simply as the backdrop for the story, the production placed Samoan performers, creatives, language, music and culture at the centre of the film.

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