A 2019 film festival favourite both internationally and locally, Vai is a powerfully moving and beautifully crafted portmanteau feature by nine female Pacific filmmakers. Shot in seven different Pacific countries (Fiji, Tonga, Solomon Islands, Kuki Airani, Samoa, Niue and Aotearoa), in each location a different Indigenous actress plays Vai at eight stages of her life, beginning as a seven-year-old girl in Fiji (Mereani Tui Matanisiga) and ending in New Zealand as a great-grandmother (Hintu Dell). From the producers of Waru (2017), Vai brings together an impressive team of creators to deliver an immersive, deeply felt portrait of an environment, culture and community.
“It isn’t just gorgeous, it feels spiritually poignant, a reaffirmation of cultural identity and a showcase of the strength of women’s stories.” — Roger Ebert
Ro Mereani Adi Tuimatanisiga, Ar-Ramadi Longopoa, Betsy Lania Luitolo, Evotia-Rose Araiti, Agnes Pele
English, Samoan, Tongan, Maori, Cook Islands Maori, Fijian, Niuean
English
New Zealand