In the wake of their mother’s death, Leiloa must teach her younger brother to cope without Mum’s cooking. OFFICIAL SELECTION - Wairoa Maori Film Festival (2018) OFFICIAL SELECTION - Pasifika Film Fest (2018) SEMI-FINALIST - Sydney Indie Film Festival (2018) OFFICIAL SELECTION - Nuku'alofa Film Festival (2018)

Pacific people living in New Zealand carry a higher burden of mental disorder than the general population of New Zealand. This project explored through creative practice, the lived experience of depression from a Pacific woman’s perspective. Manulua seeks to communicate the nature of depression through spatio-temporal, narrative illustration. It explores the use of culturally significant symbols within ngatu making and tatau as metaphors for experiences of depression.  The short film speaks without words but uses sound, image and animation to communicate meaning. It is positioned in relation to Siliga David Setoga’s (2010) concept of the Pacific Island home in New Zealand as a decolonized zone and considers how this mind-set impacts on ideas of success for Pacific people in society.  It explores the sense of confusion that young Pacific Islanders face “feeling neither here nor there and always wondering, questioning and searching for a place of belonging.” “The sharp increase in mental illness and suicide may be attributed to an asymmetrically, faster pace of social change. Such a highly accelerated change involves an abrupt shift  in the arrangement of time and space.” (Mahina, 2002, p. 306).  

A young Taupou (sacred maiden) must find the balance between Samoan traditions and her modern way of life. Produced by participants from the 2010 American Samoa Filmmakers' Workshop.

This short film written and directed by Miki Magasiva explores the rite of tatau and the coming of age of the Samoan young man in the modern age (Traditional vs Modern Day). Tatau is the original word and practice that tattoo has been derived from. Young men of Samoa undergo the rite, being tattooed from hips to chest in a painful, traditional Samoan ceremony. More on Miki Magasiva   

Creative Native Hagoth Aiono brings you "Sea of Hope". We take small peeks into the lives of Polynesian people from all over the world in their quest to succeed, live free, survive, and be happy. Interviews mixed with short musical films come together to create a unique and seamless blend of non-fiction & fictional stories to illustrate the faith, humility, spirituality, determination, and success each of us possess. "The hopes and dreams of our people, rest in the eyes of our children" - SEA OF HOPE.

A film about a young womans appetite for coffee, Islam & a good game of Badminton. Sima Urale on making 'Coffee & Allah' “On reading Coffee & Allah, I was immediately attracted to the main character Abeba, a Muslim Ethiopian woman, and her journey in a strange new land. Being an immigrant myself, I could easily relate to the story. It was truly exciting to receive this script by Shuchi, because here was a story that was fresh, original, and focused on a new and growing ethnic minority in New Zealand. The beauty of this script is that it begins with isolation and alienation, but as it progresses, subtle connections are slowly but surely made with Abeba and her new surroundings. For me, this is a gentle film with a strong message about acceptance. The challenge for me was how to visually convey a sense of disconnection without overstating the obvious. This inspired me to isolate the main character Abeba in many of her shots, and distance her with the use of wide lenses. In contrast, when we see her in her home environment with her daily ritual of making coffee and prayer, the shots are close and intimate. It’s that contrast and change of perspective that I really want audiences to experience— to remind us of just how judgemental we can all be, and then suddenly be surprised by a personal view of a very human, sometimes funny, and very likeable character." Director:  Sima Urale  Key Cast - Abeba:  Zahara Abbawaaaji                    Nonu:   Joe Folau

Samoan film maker Christina Tung was 1 of 3 people in Australia chosen to be a 'Youtube Creators for Change' 2019/20 ambassador.   She shares this project she made in partnership with them and with the support of UNDP Asia-Pacific. She says "I used this opportunity to create a film that would be uplifting for our community and bring a sense of self confidence and self love. My goal was that it would also go beyond our community and resonate with anybody that feels this way, to also feel confident about who they are."  . YouTube Creators for Change is an ongoing global initiative that spotlights inspirational Creators who use YouTube to foster productive conversations around tough issues and make a positive impact on the world. As part of their commitment to the program, Creators for Change Ambassadors and Fellows receive mentorship and promotional support to aid the creation of their Impact Projects—films that tackle a wide range of topics, from self-acceptance and showing kindness to others, to celebrating cultures and advocating for global empathy.

The 'Baby Mama's Club' webseries launched this week and was preceded by a really clever social experiment  called "Finding Johnny" which went viral!  We loves us some out of the box marketing! Actor Luciane Buchanan and one of the Creators/Directors of the social experiment  - Hanelle Harris - explained all in a video posted to 'Sophia Folau's' Facebook page. "As controversial as it was, the reason we decided to launch off the back of a social experiment was because we wanted to explore the very real themes that we're looking at in our project which includes what it is to be a woman, to be brown, to be young, to be a mother in New Zealand today.  We really wanted to challenge and expose some of the judgement and the misconceptions we feel exist around these issues"  says Hanelle. "During the experiment there were examples of slut shaming, discrimination and bullying but also on the other hand there were messages of community and sisterhood and people actually reaching out with their own personal experiences and their stories"  added Luciane  "For us that was important as the creators of the Baby Mama's Club we hoped that the social experiment would validate the stories we wanted to tell were real and we wanted to send a clear message to the decision makers that we do have an audience and that it was time for our stories and voices to be heard because it hasn't been done yet.  Our shows actually inspired by real women, the real experiences they've had and they've helped us to create and storyline our show which has been incredible. There are actually 4 main characters and a lead cast of all Maori and Polynesian women.  Sophia's only one of them (Character that Luciane plays) so if you felt connected to her in any way the chances that you'll love the show are pretty good" continues Hanelle. Check out the 1st episode above and let us know what you think in the comments.   A catchup with the cast is coming soon.

Check out this awesome short film by Crystal Vaega, following Sonny Natanielu and his journey back to Samoa to get his Tatau! Go along with Sonny as he rediscovers his culture; a dilemma New Zealand Pacific people fall victim to very often. Everyone has a story, and this is one of many. 

Check out this awesome short film by Crystal Vaega, following Sonny Natanielu and his journey back to Samoa to get his Tatau! Go along with Sonny as he rediscovers his culture; a dilemma New Zealand Pacific people fall victim to very often. Everyone has a story, and this is one of many. 

Coconet TV caught up with the funky fresh and fierce ladies of Baby Mammas Club - the webseries smashing it online. Created and directed by Hanelle Harris the show was spawned from a desire to see more Polynesian women on screen - "just being themselves...sassy and fun, sexy and fierce."  The first ep was preceded by a really clever social experiment called "Finding Johnny" which went viral!  You can read more on our Cocoblog post about it here -   Suggested Links: Baby Mama's Club Ep1 Humans of the Islands - Namila Benson 

A story about a young Tongan boy who has to make a decision to stay on the island or stow away in a ship and disappoint his family. {{20978}}

Introducing 'Breaking Bread' by Gabriel Faatau’uu-Satiu, a Sāmoan web series developed through the 'Pacific Noir' incubator program, which is a partnership of Information & Cultural Exchange and Pasifika Film Fest. 'Breaking Bread' is a fictional series inspired by true events. The series focuses on one family as they navigate their way through relationships, hardships, happiness and the mysterious family curse.' Each of our episodes are framed by a traditional Sāmoan method. Our pilot begins with Fāgogo, an old Sāmoan storytelling method known as a form of performance art.

'Broken Silence' is the story of a man, haunted by the memories of an attack made on his wife, who plans revenge on the men responsible. This film was made during the 2013 V48 Furious Film Challenge and was the sixth time the Goodfellas team entered the comp and the fourth time chosen by Peter Jackson as a Wildcard to the finals. The Goodfellas are made up of a core 4 person team -- Damon Fepulea'i, Nate Nauer, Jeremiah Taumiti, Henry Tuipe'a and Vea Mafile'o. 

The 2010 entry into the V48 Furious Film Making Challenge by The Goodfellas. Peter Jackson's favourite NZ team (he's chosen them 3 times in this competition) comes another Grand Finalist in the V48 Furious Film Making Challenge. CAROUSEL is a 7m thriller that delivers the goods from one of NZ's best filmmaking teams, Goodfellas.

Malié Film is a production company made up of five members. All female. All Pacific Islanders. Check out their entry into the annual 48HOURS Furious Filmmaking competition this year as ‘The Foreign Interns’ - where The Office meets The Hunger Games!  The team received third place for Heat #18 Auckland Audience Award - pretty good for a team who have only just entered this year! Keep an eye out for these talented young women; no doubt they'll be taking over the silver screens very soon! #PolyGirlPower

Jacob, a Sāmoan kid from Mt Druitt, Western Sydney is in his last few weeks of Year 12 at Mt Druitt High School. Just wanting to get to the end of his school years off the radar, the world seems against him - with his father on his back, the footy dream seeming more and more elusive and to top it all off - a missing classmate has the whole school shrouded in suspicion. And if things couldn’t get more hectic - a freak storm forces Jacob & a mismatched group of other Sāmoan students; Mykie, Bailee-Hill, Bennett & Victor to be confronted with the arrival of some unexpected visitors with some unexpected instructions. Year 12 in Western Sydney about to get a whole lot more wild for these Pasifika kids & the Ancestors wouldn’t have it any other way.

Check out these beautiful shots of Samoa from a birds eye view! Highlighting some of the stunning villages of Samoa- Sala'ilua, Moamoa & Manase Shot with a DJI Phantom 3. Video credit: Xtian Laifai Music: "O Le Atua Lava" by Kelemete & Kiligi Ta'ale (iTunes)

Another film made by The Goodfellas for the V48 Furious Film Making Festival, 2009. And, yet another one chosen by Peter Jackson as a wildcard in the competition. 

Hungry for adventure, the Rogue runner sets out on an intrepid journey seeking a tropical treasure that is as good as gold. . "Good as Gold" is a short film made by three film makers from Rarotonga, Cook Islands and made the top 15 of 437 films submitted in New Zealand's favourite film making competition "48 hours"  Tabitha Berg, Jaiah Arai and Benjamin Raela from Creator’s Hype entered the prestigious competition on the first weekend of March under the team name ‘Kinaki’. {{23917}} Being the only international competitors, they had to register under a local city and so they registered under the city of Taranaki. Their film ‘Good as Gold’ won first place overall in Taranaki as well as a number of awards including best cinematography, best VFX, best editing, best sound design, best use of genre, best use of ‘something invisible’, best use of sound effect, and the best use of technical element. They also took the ‘Audience favorite’ title. {{23920}} They then made the national finale and were nominated for Best Director, Best Cinematographer and Best Editor making history as the first ever Cook Islands team to have received Regional Best Film (Taranaki) and be a National Finalist in this competition. Check out the full article on the Cook Islands News 

What do you get when you have 3 Samoans looking for Bigfoot? A freshy take on the age-old myth, check out this crack up retelling of the popular tale of Bigfoot.  In Search of Bigfoot was made by filmmaking group Goodfellas for the Rialto 48Hour Film Festival, and was nominated for the Peter Jackson Wildcard Award in 2008.

A mass migration of Pacific Islanders in search of salvation leads to a war between the native population and the growing numbers of new arrivals, and a young girl stuck in the middle is forced to choose between fighting for what she loves or to save what is left of it.

Makana, a young Native Hawaiian man, struggles with his tenuous connection to his Hawaiian culture. When his girlfriend dies during childbirth, he is forced to complete a traditional indigenous birthing ritual with his girlfriend’s overbearing father. Together, they go on a journey that takes them down the long and winding roads of Hawaii island and up the tallest peaks of Mauna Kea in order to fulfill a promise and pave the path toward their uncertain future. . MEET THE FILM MAKER - BRYSON KAINOA CHUN  Bryson Chun is a Native Hawaiian filmmaker who has produced award-winning short and feature films in Hawai’i that have gone on to screen for PBS, The Smithsonian Institution, The Criterion Collection, and at festivals all over the world. He was a writing fellow for Sundance, imagineNATIVE, LA Skins, and ‘Ohina Labs where he developed his Greenlight award-winning short Other People under the mentorship of Thor Ragnarok writer Eric Pearson. His television pilot Poi Dogs was recently selected to be part of The Blacklist’s Inaugural Indigenous List. He was part of the 2021 CAPE New Writers Fellowship and is currently pursuing his MFA in Screenwriting from the Institute of American Indian Arts. - I was born and raised on the Windward side of O’ahu, first in Kailua town and then in Kahalu’u where I currently reside. I’m Native Hawaiian and Tahitian on my mother’s side and while I get some Asian ancestry from her, most of it comes from my dad who is Chinese, Japanese, and Okinawan. I am a filmmaker here in Hawai’i, mostly screenwriting, but I also produce a lot of documentary work as well.
 {{23777}} Tell us about your short film "Ka Piko" and why you wanted to make it? Ka Piko is a film that was born out of me trying to figure out what it meant to be a Native Hawaiian. We are not a monolith, but I still felt like maybe the stories I wanted to tell were on the fringes of the Hawaiian community. Ka Piko tells the story of a young man named Makana who has to perform a traditional Hawaiian ritual for newborns with his girlfriend’s father, Bruce, but really it’s an exploration of Hawaiian identity. Makana, while Native in heritage, never learned to embrace his culture or traditions in the way that Bruce’s family did, so there’s an inherent tension between the two as a result. {{23780}} Ultimately this was my way of trying to understand Hawaiian identity for myself and I didn’t know whether or not it would resonate with anyone else. Another aspect I wanted to explore was Native men dealing with grief. I think there’s a misconception that men in general have to be cold or tough, but in our communities that couldn’t be further from the truth. We wear our heart’s on our sleeves and I think showing that side of what it means to be a man from a Native perspective is also ingrained in the film. 
 {{23782}} Thankfully, this script was selected to be workshopped as part of that year’s Sundance Indigenous Lab, which is kind of like adding rocket fuel to a fire. It was incredibly validating for me that an institution as revered and storied as Sundance saw the value in telling this small story from a Native Hawaiian who was still trying to figure a lot of stuff out. It was still a difficult process to make like all films are, but I’m proud to say that to this day, even five years on, it is still finding new audiences and I’m still being asked to talk about it. It’s a huge honor that I don’t take lightly.
 . Why is it important for Pasifika and Asian people to write and tell their own stories? It’s no secret that for such a long time stories about Pacific Islanders and Asians were told by people outside of those communities. To some degree I understand the reasoning behind this in certain instances, but ultimately it’s a practice that has done more harm than good. When our stories or places are being presented from an outside perspective, we have to question the intention behind it. What is the agenda? In Hawai’i, so much of the early film work served the express purpose of drawing in tourism. Those films catered to outsiders and told them that they could be like Elvis and live like kings while the exotic locals served them. 
By telling our own stories we can set the record straight. {{23784}} We can bring the authenticity of place and culture into our creative work and show people perspectives they’ve never seen before. It helps engender a sense of empathy when we can truly see and understand others and film is one of the best ways to do this. There’s no agenda to the work other than uplifting our voices and giving them a space in the media landscape. As a father of two young children I recognize how important it is for them to see themselves represented well on screen. It shows that your stories have value and that you matter. I didn’t grow up with a lot of amazing Pasifika or Asian characters on screen to look up to, but I hope to be part of the solution so that my kids will have no shortage of them. 
 {{23786}} . In celebration of AAPI month can you tell us how your Pacific and Asian heritage has guided you through life and what you love about being an Asian/Pacific person today? One of the best parts of being both Asian and a Pacific Islander is the sense of community we continue to foster. Now that I’m a father I’m far more cognizant of how disparate cultures view and treat their families. There’s sort of a Western ideal of dealing with your children until their 18 and then getting them out of the house as fast as possible. In our Hawai’i cultures, it’s not often economically viable to do that, but beyond that we strive to be enduring parts of our families and communities for as long as possible. {{23790}} That support system has helped me to take risks that I wouldn’t have taken otherwise and it inspires me to tell my children that they can be or try anything and that I’ll always be there to support them. This extends to our growing film community as well. It would be easy for all of us to fight for our limited resources and compete with one another, but there is a true sense of camaraderie between all of us. I think we recognize that it’s starting to be our time and we’re all riding this wave of success together. When one of us succeeds, we all succeed. Similarly, having that community to represent puts the right amount of added pressure on each of us. The onus is on every single individual to do their part to advance the cause. It’s like we’re all paddling a canoe together. With all of us working hard and supporting each other there’s no telling how far we’ll be able to go. {{23788}}

Celebration of cultural identity is key to well-being for the students of Alfriston College in South Auckland, most of whom identify as Māori or Pasifika. Keep The Faith is an uplifting documentary about staying connected and is told through the eyes of Mrs Meleua Ikiua - a teacher at Alfriston College - as the Niuean group prepares for Polyfest. The Someday Challenge calls for young people to make short sustainability-related films of any genre, filmed with any camera and any length up to 5 minutes. It is open to individuals and teams ages 7 – 24. This year's winners are a collection of dramas, documentaries, Claymation and spoken word films by rangatahi ages 10 to 24.  A judging panel of 12 representatives from media, government and business agencies selected the winners from 133 entries, involving 410 young people.

Based on the lives of at-risk youths in New Zealand, this story shows the challenges of everyday life for one boy who faces a difficult choice. . Jury Prize & Audience Award - New Zealand International Film Festival Best Director & Best Editor - Show Me Shorts Film Festival Young Jury Prize, International Competition - Sequence Film Festival (Toulouse, France) Runner Up at One Lens Film Festival (Hollywood)

'Le Afi Ua Mu: The Fire Is Burning' explores the difficulties that confront Samoan youth separated from their cultural heritage. Afakasi (half-Samoan) filmmaker Shane Seggar interweaves his own experiences with those of young Samoan men in Samoa and Los Angeles as he explores the social and cultural dynamics that lead Samoan youth to join gangs in the United States.  Check out the rest of the film here.

Just a dejected young woman battling an identity-crisis, caught between obeying mum's traditional Samoan values or exploring Western Gen-Z freedoms where there are no morals. - The creator of the show, Sione Sisifa, born in Auckland of Tongan heritage (Ha'ateiho and Lofanga), moved to Melbourne, Australia at the age of 4. He started his creative journey as a music producer / DJ and developed as a songwriter first but had always kept his DSLR on hand as a keen photographer. Although he hadn't been trained in either he continued learning and practicing the craft outside of his office job. {{27336}} A couple of years later Sione created Shotcaller Studio as a platform to express his photography / videography work and when the start of the pandemic hit, he found himself stuck at home without a creative outlet. During this time he had time to reflect on his experiences growing up in Australia & the landscape of film/tv there and decided there was an opportunity to create something for our Pacific Island people that they could relate to and represented their lived experiences. This was where the idea of 'LIANA' was formed. {{27340}} From there he came across Sharrayah Temita's reels (lead actress on Liana) online and reached out to her to collaborate on what was originally going to be a short film. He finished writing the pilot and started shooting solo doing everything from pre to post production.  Since the pilot dropped he has received an outpouring of support from all over the world, receiving heart felt messages about how people have been impacted emotionally by it, which for Sione, has been the greatest gift to come from all the hard work. {{27338}} He's currently back in writing mode, recruiting more crew (no more flying solo), and preparing to roll out more eps! He'll be creating a crowd fund and a patreon to help generate more resources to fund these important stories!  More details in the video below  {{27341}}

Young Kiribati American film maker Lulu DeBoer returns to her home island of Kiribati for the first time in over 20 years, only to find that climate change will soon wash it away. But instead of despair, the love and hope of the country spurs her on to find solutions to adapt. A solar powered future awaits, but first she must find her way through bureaucracy and heartbreak. . NB: Love Note for an Island, is a shortened version of her upcoming feature documentary Millennium Island.

Based on a beloved classic Legend from the island of Guam, 'Maisa the Chamoru Girl who Saves Guåhan' tells the story of how a young Chamoru girl finds the strength, wisdom, and courage to lead the women of Guåhan (Guam) into battle against a giant creature from the Marianas trench that is devouring their island home. 'Maisa' is the first animated film to feature the endangered indigenous Chamorro language of Guam. For this film cultural and language experts worked diligently on bringing the language back to its historical pre contact era.GDOE students participated in both the voice over and creation of key art for the production, while local actors and actresses worked side by side with Twiddle and Kahmeleon Productions in Guam for the filming of the live action segments. - The film premiered in Guam on Dec 7th, 2015 and has since screened at various venues and film festivals worldwide. Highlighted festivals and screenings in 2016 include: PBS Guam, The Festival of the Pacific Arts (Guam), Hawaii International Film Festival part of Pacific Showcase Shorts Program sponsored by Pacific Islanders In Communication (Hawaii), San Diego International Kids Film Festival (California), The First Indigenous Comic Con (New Mexico), Festival de Animación Nochedemonos (Chile), the Hsin- Yi Children's Animation Festival (Taiwan), and most recently at the prestigious 2016 Pasifika FilmFest (Australia, NZ) where it won Best Short Film.

A WADALIFE FILM  This short film from Samoan film-makers Wadalife Films based in Hawai'i won best local short film at the Hawai'i International Film Festival in 2010. It also screened at Sunset on the Beach at Waikiki, Ohina Film Festival and Soul Savior Chronicles. In long forgotten Samoa, a group of young men are sent into the deepest part of the forest to fulfill their destinies and emerge as Warriors.

The matriarch of a large Polynesian family lies bedridden and silent, unable or unwilling to speak after a long illness. When a family crisis strikes, Nan Maria gets some unexpected help as she struggles to reunite her fractured family.

Check out Ma's adventures as she visitis Hawaii and LA for the first time! Leiataua Afega 'Ma' Si'ulepa is 81 years old. She comes from a small village called Solaua, in the independent Polynesian island of Samoa. Ma has lived in New Zealand for most of her life. In 2013 Ma starred in a short film about her life as a widowed matriarch grandmother who returns home one day to find her precious toy monkey is missing. In 2014 Ma travelled with the film to the Hawaii International Film Festival and the LA Skins Fest in the USA. It was the first time Ma had ever experienced anything like it.  This is a short documentary about her travels...

'ONEFOUR: Against All Odds' documentary traces the meteoric rise of Australia's first drill rap stars, defiant in the face of police's efforts to stop them from performing. Full film premieres on Netflix 26th October 2023.

Atonio - a young Sāmoan boy leaves Rotorua, NZ to join the "Parramatta Lions" squad in Western Sydney as their new recruit. New country, new city, new team - Atonio is thrown into a whole new world as he is introduced to the harsh realities of pursuing the ultimate dream of making it in the NRL but also trying to just grow up as an Island boy in Australia's largest city. Taken in by teammates Eli, Isaiah & Toa to show him the ropes - Atonio gets more support to make it than he imagined & from the most unlikeliest person.

Join filmmaker Pete McBride, a National Geographic Freshwater Hero, on a journey into the Fijian Highlands to discover why the locals said “no” to easy money from resource extraction, and how they turned to tourism to fund a conservation area that protects one of the most beautiful rivers on Earth. Slicing through the island’s tropical highlands, the Upper Navua Gorge is unparalleled.  Sheer walls rocket 150-feet skyward as green, roiling waters sleuth through 20-foot-wide natural canals.  Waterfalls and a misty spray dance from the jungle above, keeping this oasis glistening with life. When native Fijian guides aren’t singing or laughing, they share legends of warfare and love that are intertwined with each bend in the river. The Upper Navua represents one of the most unique conservation cooperatives in the world, which prevents logging, mining or roads within 200 meters of the river’s lapping waters. Created in 2000, with the help of a small rafting company and nine local land-owning families, two villages, a logging company and a government entity, it is one of the only protected rivers in the South Pacific. But, as the people of the Fijian Highlands now know, conservation is a fight that’s never over.

A short film about two young Samoan boys trying to cope with the loss of their mother. They move to Australia to live with their father, who desperately tries to give them the happiness he couldn't years before. But the arrival of Kia, their step-mother, turns things upside down between the boys and their father.

Samoan film-maker Hagoth Aiono brings you "The Gift" A story about an 11 year old boy who gets a computer for his birthday. He learns quickly that through the internet and youtube he can fix just about anything. Through tutorials he learns how to fix things around the house and fix things for other people.  After finding out that his mother is sick from disease, he sets out to help find a cure the only way he knows how to "fix" things. 

A new snack sized spin off series from the makers of Baby Mama's Club! Sis follows your favourite cousins Gee Gee, Miki and Malia as they take on life one cackle at a time. In the first episode "Suga Baby", Caleb, a Niuean bachelor has come to take Miki on a date, but will he get past over protective cousins Gee Gee and Malia? It's the first installment of their pilot episode which they'll be dropping over the coming weeks. {{12141}}

Rugby is a way of life in Fiji, with deep meaning and spiritual significance. It is an expression of the passion and vitality of Fijian males and although their country has one of the worlds smallest populations, they have become a dominating force in the sport. (Perhaps because their warrior heritage is quite recent!) This short film made on the island of Vanua Levu explores how the player's fundamental connection to their village brings a level of heart to the game that is unmatched in western society. As Dramea says at the end, "it's all about family." As it is in all of Fiji. Video Credit: Gary Yost in association with Fiji Charity

Sons of Blackbird: A poetic exploration of how footsteps of the past influence and reflect where we stand today.  As history trickles down the bloodline and onto the production line, spoken- word poem, Blackbird speaks the struggles of minimum wage labour and the undeniable strength of our Pasifika brothers and sisters.  In Sons of Blackbird, poet Lastman So’oula reflects on his days working a factory line and relives the feelings of mistreatment and exploitation, with references to "blackbirding", the practice of kidnapping Pacific Islanders to be used for forced labour.