A Study of a Samoan Savage –  Film screening  

In conjunction with Yuki Kihara’s exhibition, A Study of a Samoan Savage, Te Uru presents a pair of film screenings that consider perceptions and stereotypes of Pacific culture, traditions and masculinity.
Away to the South Seas (1960-65), 4pm (free)
A rare screening of the 1965 gem, Away to the South Seas, a feature-length journey through “the fabulous and romantic Polynesian islands”, preserved and made available by Ngā Taonga Sound and Vision courtesy of Bathie Stuart Productions. This film was presented by the Monroe Rotary Club as part of their ‘Travel and Adventure Series’ (1965-66) and their programme described the film as follows:
“Away to the South Seas takes us to the fabulous and romantic Polynesian islands that have enchanted painters and writers for generations. French Oceania; British and American Samoa; exotic Tonga, ruled by Queen Salote; the Cook Islands, named for the great navigator Captain James Cook; are all included in this array of idyllic tropical isles.  Bathie Stuart brings the culture of Polynesia, its customs and ways of life, the arts and crafts of the Coral Isles, and the smiling faces of Fiji. You will be entranced with your journey.”
The Orator/O Le Tulafale (2011), 7pm ($11 + booking fee)
Written and directed by Samoan-born, Wellington-based film-maker Tusi Tamasese, The Orator is the first Samoan-language feature film, filmed in Samoa with a Samoan cast and story. In its debut at the prestigious Venice Film Festival it won a special jury mention in the Orizzonti (New Horizons) section.
Steeped in Samoan culture and tradition, the central character is Saili, a taro farmer outcast from his village for being a dwarf. Married to another outcast, he lives a simple life, tending his parents’ graves and surviving in the jungles of Upolo. In Samoan culture, words and oration are used as tools of war, as sharp and lethal as swords. Saili’s power over language make him as much of a warrior as the ancient chiefs who shed blood to keep control of their land.
Advance phone and online bookings from eventfinda.
Lopdell Theatre, 418 Titirangi Rd

16 April, 4-7pm