05 Aug 2016
Victoria University of Wellington’s Stout Research Centre and Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision have come together, with the support of arts collective Kava Club, to host the New Zealand premiere public screening of the restored 1926 film Moana: A Romance of the Golden Age.
The restored film will premiere on 1 September 2016 and is followed by a free, day-long public symposium on 2 September to discuss the film with Pasifika filmmakers, writers, artists and academics. Speakers include Sima Urale, Victor Rodger, Sean Mallon, Teresia Teaiwa, Karlo Mila and Tusi Tamasese.
Moana by Robert and Frances Flaherty was filmed over 1923 and 1924 mainly on the island of Savai’i in Samoa and is the first feature-length film to be noted as having “documentary value.” In 1975, the filmmakers’ daughter Monica Flaherty returned to Savai’i to create a soundtrack for the silent film. Independent film archivist Bruce Posner restored and digitally re-mastered the film in 2014.
At the film’s center is Moana, son of a tribal chief, who journeys towards manhood as he spends a week undergoing a painful traditional tattoo. The film is historic and captures the villagers in their daily lives as they fish, hunt, make clothes, feast and dance.
Victoria University’s Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Pasifika) Associate Professor and member of the Arts Council Hon. Luamanuvao Winnie Laban, whose maternal grandmother was born in the film’s village location, says it is incredibly special to see traditional Samoan life, untouched and un-edited, on the big screen.
“The film really captures the spirit of Samoa. The landscape is so lush and you see the beauty, mutual respect and generosity of the people,” says Luamanuvao.
Screening : Moana: A Romance of the Golden Age
When: 6pm, 1 September and 4.30pm, 3 September
Where: Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision, 84 Taranaki St, Wellington
Moana Symposium
When: 9am-5pm, 2 September
Where: Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision, 84 Taranaki St, Wellington
Cost: Free, register online to reserve your space
Guest speakers: include Sima Urale, Victor Rodger, Sean Mallon, Teresia Teaiwa, Nathaniel Lees, Karlo Mila and Tusi Tamasese.
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