WE ARE STILL HERE ANTHOLOGY - Pacific Directors: Mario Gaoa & Miki Magasiva
In order to move forward, we must first look back.
'We Are Still Here' is a unique Indigenous film that interweaves eight powerful tales to tell a sweeping story of hope and survival. Through the eyes of eight protagonists, 'We Are Still Here' traverses 1000 years from past, present, and future to explore stories of kinship, loss, grief, and resilience. But ultimately, it shows the strength of love and hope to overcome shared traumas that Indigenous people from Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific have continued to face.
'We are Still Here' is out now in select NZ cinemas and will be released in Australia on the 16th of Feb.
We talk to two of the Pasifika directors involved with the project about their short film 'Uniform' that was part of the anthology.
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MARIO GAOA & MIKI MAGASIVA - UNIFORM
What is WE ARE STILL HERE about?
WASH is a collective of 8 indigenous films. The original concept was to address the 250-year anniversary of Captain Cook and how his interventions around the pacific would effect the indigenous people of those lands. The stories range from historic Australian outback to a future Aotearoa where an ice age has hold of the planet.
Tell us about the pacific cast and crew involved and why it was important?
We knew from the outset that we wanted as many Indigenous Australian, Maori and Pasifika working on all of these projects. It's this type of transformative relationships that helps grow our industry and ensures that our people have a chance to hone skills and work forward in the film/tv world.
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How siginificant is the overall kauapapa of the anthology - tell us what the title alludes to?
It's pretty simple. Colonisation could not destroy the soul of who we are, and what our culture is. Not through lack of trying.
Many of us are lucky to still be able to speak in a native tongue. Others have had to work hard to bring their cultures back from the brink.
Why is sovereignty of our land, culture and storytelling important to you?
Our land reminds us who we are and where we have come from. Our ability to tell stories would change without this universal birthright.
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Tell what it’s been like for you as a filmmaker telling Pasifika stories in Aotearoa- how long has the journey been to get to this stage?
It's been an incredible journey just being able to work with the people you admire and respect in an industry that you love is real special.
It's taken years to craft a skill that makes you confident as a film maker. But being in the largest pacific island community in the world has a lot of advantages, especially when most of your stories are right in front of you on a daily.
What’s special about your film and what are you most proud of?
We have tried to show that a universal love can cross language and cultural barriers in some of the harshest conditions we place on ourselves.
When stories connect to the audience there is a sense of pride that we all can own. Collaborating with indigenous film makers from Australia and New Zealand is an accomplishment not soon forgotten.
