Film recs from NZ/Aotearoa, skewing towards the light-hearted. Pasifika (the Pacific Islands cultural festival is on this weekend, so I'll start with two movies about Pacific Islanders in NZ.
Sione's Wedding (imdb informs me this was retitled Samoan Wedding in the US) is about four feckless Samoan guys who get into trouble at every wedding they attend, until the local minister sets an ultimatum - they can only attend the next wedding, of one of their younger brother's in one month's time, if they show up with girlfriends. Written by Oscar Kightley (Samoan/NZ) and James Griffin (Pakeha). Shot in my old suburb, so I'm probably biased (and homesick), but it's funny and light-hearted, and the characters are very genuine.
No. 2 (apparently Naming Number 2 in the US) is directed by Toa Fraser (Fijian/NZ) and is about an elderly Fijian matriarch who calls all her family together for a big celebration, at which she will name her successor. Fraser did this as a play first, where all the parts are played by one actor, and I haven't actually seen the film version (which has multiple cast members), but people who have say the film is also excellent.
From the Maori side, Taika Waititi's short film (written and directed), Two Cars, One Night is brilliant and was up for an Oscar, but I don't know how easy it is to find. It takes place outside a pub, where a bunch of kids have been left in cars while their parents are inside drinking, and it's not issues-based or safety-commercial at all. Whale Rider is a bit more of a stretch by your criteria (the novel it's based on is by Witi Ihimaera, but the screenplay and directing are by Niki Caro, who's Pakeha) and I have problems with the plotting, but it does look gorgeous and the day-to-day life parts are very well done. And, if you have a spare slot for depressing, Once Were Warriors (based on the novel by Alan Duff, script by Riwia Brown, director Lee Tamahori - all Maori) is excellent, but very, very bleak (it's about gangs and domestic violence).
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2009-03-12 08:12 am (UTC)Sione's Wedding (imdb informs me this was retitled Samoan Wedding in the US) is about four feckless Samoan guys who get into trouble at every wedding they attend, until the local minister sets an ultimatum - they can only attend the next wedding, of one of their younger brother's in one month's time, if they show up with girlfriends. Written by Oscar Kightley (Samoan/NZ) and James Griffin (Pakeha). Shot in my old suburb, so I'm probably biased (and homesick), but it's funny and light-hearted, and the characters are very genuine.
No. 2 (apparently Naming Number 2 in the US) is directed by Toa Fraser (Fijian/NZ) and is about an elderly Fijian matriarch who calls all her family together for a big celebration, at which she will name her successor. Fraser did this as a play first, where all the parts are played by one actor, and I haven't actually seen the film version (which has multiple cast members), but people who have say the film is also excellent.
From the Maori side, Taika Waititi's short film (written and directed), Two Cars, One Night is brilliant and was up for an Oscar, but I don't know how easy it is to find. It takes place outside a pub, where a bunch of kids have been left in cars while their parents are inside drinking, and it's not issues-based or safety-commercial at all. Whale Rider is a bit more of a stretch by your criteria (the novel it's based on is by Witi Ihimaera, but the screenplay and directing are by Niki Caro, who's Pakeha) and I have problems with the plotting, but it does look gorgeous and the day-to-day life parts are very well done. And, if you have a spare slot for depressing, Once Were Warriors (based on the novel by Alan Duff, script by Riwia Brown, director Lee Tamahori - all Maori) is excellent, but very, very bleak (it's about gangs and domestic violence).