Berlin

Tusi Tamasese's film ‘The Orator’ ('O Le Tulafale', 2011) made film history as the first ever to come from the Samoan Islands. It held its world premier at the 68th Venice International Film Festival in 2011, and most recently screened at the 63rd Berlin International Film Festival in the NATIVe - Indigenous Cinema section in 2013.  

Saili is a small man with a big heart who lives happily with his beautiful wife Vaaiga and her daughter Litia. Sadly however, the whole family is somewhat of an outcast; Saili because he has been denied his title and Vaaiga because, although her family wants her back, they cast her out years ago. In trying to stay peaceful and to themselves they only aggravate everyone else in the village and their lives as they know it become threatened unless they, namely Saili, speaks up to the powers that be to defend himself and his family. 

I interviewed director Tusi Tamasese of ‘The Orator’ about his great feat, having made the first film in history to ever come from the Samoan Islands. 

Read my interview with Tusi Tamasese here: 

http://http://www.filmfestivals.com/blog/vanessa_mcmahon/the_orator_interview_with_tusi_tamasese

Visit the film's official site here: 

http://theoratorfilm.co.nz/