book and media reviews 653

The chair is a constant ghostly hear singing in the Samoan language presence: it doesn’t speak, but it is about the beauty of the ancestral quoted from often. It represents a homeland. family position: the burden of a title, The great achievement of this play the warmth of a family, it has a con- is that it generates so many levels of fessional symbolism that connects it engagement with traditional, contem- with the spirit world, a silent wis- porary, and migrant culture, as well as dom handed down from the previous New Zealand society from a Samoan songmakers. The play begins with a perspective. The family spirit engen- chant, one of creation, the cosmogony dered by the drama remained for me of Sämoa, out of the vanimonimo (the well after the play had ended. Judging space that appears and disappears, by the very warm audience responses outer space)—that space between (as at the two performances I attended, Wendt describes the va in “Towards this play was a very successful pro- a New Oceania”), and which other duction, crossing as it did from the theorists have labeled the differend southern to the northern Pacifi c. (The Differend, Jean-François Lyotard, robert sullivan 1998), the third space (The Location University of Hawai‘i, Mänoa of Culture, Homi Bhabha, 1994), or liminality. *** The chair is a representation of the va—a cultural space; it emits an See also Melani Anae’s review of the 2003 energy that the family itself expresses Auckland production of The Songmaker’s Chair in The Contemporary Pacific through such mediums as song and 17:270 –273 (2005). storytelling. The lineage the chair represents is an anchor, both for spirits like a taulaaitu, and for the family. For Samoan Wedding, 97 minutes, 35 mm, instance, in the playscript when Pese color, 2006. Written by Oscar Kightley fi nds out about Lillo’s child, he hugs and James Griffen; directed by Chris himself in the chair; thus we see its Graham; produced by John Barnett role as refuge. and Chloe Smith. Distributed by South The three-quarter staging of the Pacifi c Pictures, New Zealand. Kumu Kahua production emphasized the silent signifi cance of the chair. No. 2, 93 minutes, 35 mm, color, The piercing cries of the owl, via the 2006. Written and directed by theater audio system, were the only Toa Fraser; produced by Philippa sounds that emerged out of the va. I Campbell, Tim White, and Lydia believe that the owl’s signifi cance is Living stone. Distributed by Colonial as a kind of family god or guardian Encounters, New Zealand. creature (Mäori kaitiaki, Hawaiian ‘aumakua); I say that it comes from The Hawai‘i International Film the va because the owl also comes Festival — regarded as the premiere from this ancestral and spiritual plane. fi lm event in the Pacifi c—screened In death Peseola is oriented toward two New Zealand feature fi lms dur- the chair, in the shadows behind it, ing the October 2006 fi lm season in with his photo on the wall, and we Hawai‘i — Samoan Wedding and No. 654 the contemporary pacifi c • 19:2 (2007)

2. Signifi cantly, each fi lm features the scenes of the city of Auckland, New writing, directorial (in the case of No. Zealand, bathed in the pale orange 2), and acting talents of Pacifi c Island- glow of morning light are juxtaposed ers, thus illuminating a critical change with the sultry interiors of hip, urban that has been taking place in the nightclubs, which are populated by Pacifi c fi lm industry since the 1970s. fashion-conscious, fi rst- and sec- Over the last three and a half decades, ond-generation Polynesians “getting Pacifi c Islanders have been taking con- down” to contemporary beats—this is trol of the camera and re-presenting Island life with a twist. their stories, experiences, and images Samoan Wedding follows the ado- through a unique indigenous lens. lescent antics of four thirty-something The romantic comedy Samoan Samoan friends who live in Auckland’s Wedding (released as Sione’s Wed- sprawling metropolis. Michael (Rob- ding in New Zealand) is replete with bie Magasiva) is a muscle-bound cultural markers that work well bicycle courier who has a penchant for to elucidate the presence of Pacifi c “rich, sexually free white girls”; Albert Islanders on the New Zealand land- (Oscar Kightley, who also cowrote the scape. The fi lm’s costume and produc- screenplay) is a painfully shy offi ce tion designers create a visual feast of clerk whose only close female relation- tapa and fl oral prints, hibiscus motifs, ship has been with his mother; Stanley and the ubiquitous Samoan lavalava, (Iaheto Ah Hi) is a hopeless roman- all of which provide the fi lm with an tic searching for the perfect woman unmistakable Pacifi c fl avor, albeit self- through a telephone dating service; consciously at times. In one scene a and Sefa (Shimpal Lelisi) is a boozing lush taro patch and a traditional umu party animal whose puerile behavior (earth oven) feature in a suburban begins to wear thin on his live-in girl- backyard—here, Samoan cultural sen- friend, Leilani (Teuila Blakely). sibilities overlap with urban realities in Existing in a hazy world of night- a dynamic way. clubs, alcohol, and perpetual hang- The fi lm’s soundtrack—produced overs, the four friends eventually hit by Pacifi c Islander–owned record label the hard wall of reality when—after Dawn Raid Entertainment and featur- the latest in a long line of wedding ing the music of Polynesian artists disasters, of which they have been the such as Nesian Mystik and Fat Fred- primary instigators—they fi nd them- dy’s Drop — also provides a dynamic selves censured by their Samoan com- blend of contemporary sounds that munity and banned from attending refl ect New Zealand’s vibrant Pacifi c the upcoming wedding of Michael’s hip-hop scene. Stylistically, the fi lm younger brother, Sione (Pua Maga- benefi ts from the directorial skills siva). Desperate to participate in the of Chris Graham (a Päkehä), who is nuptial celebrations, the four men well known in New Zealand for his begrudgingly accept the ultimatum award-winning music videos. Graham given them by the local Samoan minis- creates a riveting portrait of Samoan ter (Nathaniel Lees), who decrees that life within the folds of a multicultural, in order for them to attend the wed- metropolitan cityscape. Panoramic ding, they must each fi nd a respectable book and media reviews 655 girlfriend to accompany them. How- date to take to a wedding—Samoan ever, locating the right woman proves Wedding, as cowriter Oscar Kightley to be more diffi cult than expected. put it in a recent interview with the What viewers will fi nd most Honolulu Advertiser, “shows Poly- striking about Samoan Wedding is nesia as quite normal, with as many that it makes a clean break from the loves and losses as anywhere else” (9 well-worn themes of cultural dis- Nov 2006). It is this “normalcy” that placement and social alienation that provides a refreshing glimpse into an have characterized previous Pacifi c aspect of Pacifi c Island life that audi- Island-oriented fi lms such as Sons for ences do not usually have the opportu- the Return Home (1979), O Tamaiti nity to see on the big screen. (1996), and A Day in the Life (1995). The dual screening of Samoan Wed- While these fi ne productions (the last ding and No. 2 during the Hawai‘i two are short fi lms) have brought International Film Festival provided critical attention to the issues and audiences with two very unique per- concerns that frame the Pacifi c Island spectives of the lives of Pacifi c Island- migrant situation in New Zealand, ers in the contemporary period. Based Samoan Wedding concentrates instead on part-Fijian Toa Fraser’s highly on fl eshing out the more ebullient acclaimed stage play of the same moments. Unlike the central character name, the fi lm No. 2 digs deep into the in the fi lm Sons for the Return Home, multilayered experience of the human which is based on Albert Wendt’s condition and offers rich insight into critically acclaimed 1973 novel of the the complexities of migrant life in same title, the young protagonists of the New Zealand diaspora. Set in Samoan Wedding are not riddled with the middle-income suburb of Mount the anxiety of trying to negotiate their Roskill, Auckland, No. 2 revolves way between tradition and modernity; around Nanna Maria (played by instead their feet are fi rmly planted African-American actress Ruby Dee), in both worlds. While they are inex- an aging but strong-willed Fijian-born tricably linked to a dynamic cultural matriarch, who decides that the day network that involves community, has come to name one of her grand- extended family, and religion, they children her successor. Determined are also conversant with the complex to make it a memorable occasion, individualism of Western society. Nanna Maria calls her grandchildren These “cultural chameleons” are as together, declaring, “Today I want a comfortable attending church on a feast, a great big feast day!” But it is Sunday morning (barring a hangover not just any kind of feast that Nanna from the evening before) as they are wants—it is a traditional Fijian one, sipping cappuccino in a swanky inner replete with the killing of a pig and city café. Although the lighthearted the mixing and partaking of kava (or approach of Samoan Wedding may yaqona, as it is referred to in the Fijian be perceived as somewhat frivolous vernacular). Nanna Maria also has a and lacking in substance, in a critical stipulation: outsiders are forbidden, way, by focusing on a more buoy- including her own children. As the ant theme—such as the search for a fi lm progresses, the gaping fi ssures 656 the contemporary pacifi c • 19:2 (2007) that have long existed in the family repertoire of themes, such as the joys begin to emerge. and stresses that frame the dynamic As the fi ve grandchildren—Soul arrangement of family relationships. (Taungaroa Emile), Erasmus (Rene While each of the characters in No. Naufahu), Hibiscus (Miriama 2 resonates with powerful authentic- McDowell), Tyson (Xavier Horan), ity as they refl ect the strengths and and Charlene (Mia Blake)—begin pre- frailties of the human condition, paring for the event (albeit reluctantly there is nevertheless a certain cultural at fi rst), old family tensions rise to the inauthenticity in the fi lm that requires surface and tears in the cultural fabric some exploration. Although No. 2 of their lives become apparent: none centers on the experiences of a Fijian of the urbanized grandchildren knows family living in the New Zealand how to mix kava, and the thought of diaspora, none of the main actors or killing a pig—a completely normal actresses are in fact Fijian. In addition affair in traditional Fijian culture— to African-American Ruby Dee who poses a serious dilemma for them. In plays the central protagonist, Mäori, this way, No. 2 highlights the cultural Tongan, and Samoan actors fi ll the dissonance that fi rst- and second-gen- other key roles. This raises several eration Pacifi c Islanders often experi- questions that relate to issues of rep- ence as they become imprinted by the resentation insofar as Pacifi c Islanders sensibilities of their modern surround- (specifi cally Fijians) are concerned. For ings and lifestyle. instance, does the absence of Fijian Although the fi lm takes place over actors in a fi lm about Fijians constitute the period of a day and an evening, a form of misrepresentation? More- it is easy to feel as though one has over, is it reasonable to expect Pacifi c tracked the entire life history of Island fi lmmakers / screenwriters to Nanna Maria’s family. The script is cast actors and actresses strictly on the beautifully written and moves fl uidly basis that they match the ethnicity of between dramatic tension and comic the characters in the script? In consid- relief. The actions and voices of each ering the latter question, it is prudent of the characters also reveal the com- to consider Vilsoni Hereniko’s inde- plex nature of familial relationships. pendent fi lm The Land Has Eyes (Pear In particular, the moments between ta ma ‘on maf ) (2004). Filmed on the Nanna Maria and Charlene—a island of Rotuma, Hereniko’s home- young, single mother—are emotion- land, it is signifi cant to note that the ally electric and convey in a powerful majority of the cast (approximately 98 way the love between grandmother percent), including the central charac- and granddaughter. Conversely, the ter, are Rotumans (see http://www strained relationship between Soul and .thelandhaseyes.com). Indeed, the his father Percy (Pio Terei) underscores overwhelming presence of Rotumans the struggles of parents and children in The Land provides the fi lm with an to fi nd common ground and mutual undeniably authentic Rotuman voice, understanding. In a signifi cant way, fi guratively and literally speaking, then, although No. 2 conveys the spec- since the fi lm is predominantly in the ifi cities of the Fijian migrant experi- Rotuman language (with the addi- ence, it also contains a more universal tion of English subtitles). In a similar book and media reviews 657 way, Samoan Wedding also retains a In expressing their own perspectives measure of cultural authenticity by of the world, Pacifi c Island fi lmmak- featuring an all-Samoan ensemble of ers are actively subverting many of the actors and actresses. deeply ingrained stereotypes that have The Land Has Eyes and Samoan been projected on the silver screen and Wedding thus provide an interesting into the public imagination by Hol- contrast to No. 2. While it may be lywood fi lm studios. Divested of their argued that the absence of Fijians in cultural specifi city, Pacifi c Islanders the fi lm denotes a kind of cultural inau- have historically been treated as exotic thenticity, this should not necessarily background foliage in fi lms such as be viewed as marring the fi lm’s integ- South Pacifi c (1958), Blue Crush rity or value; there is a high degree of (2002), and 50 First Dates (2004), authenticity in terms of the narrative, rather than featuring as central, fully which is written by a person of Fijian formed characters. Viewed from this ancestry. Here, the line between inau- angle, Samoan Wedding and No. 2 thenticity and authenticity, representa- take their rightful place alongside a tion and misrepresentation is blurred growing body of cinematic produc- and not easily delineated. tions in which Pacifi c Islanders are Despite some drawbacks (specifi - primary contributors at all levels of cally, actors who don’t look Fijian, in the fi lmmaking process and appear in a fi lm about Fijians in Auckland), one all their rich and glorious complexity of the great strengths of No. 2 lies in at front and center stage. its ability to capture the subtleties of marata tamaira the human experience. In one quiet University of Hawai‘i, Mänoa scene, Nanna Maria lies alone on her bed, breathing in as much of life *** as she can through an oxygen mask. The knowledge of Nanna’s mortality Pacifi c Encounters: Art and Divinity is made all the more poignant by the in Polynesia, 1760–1860. The Sains- sounds of her family outside, laughing, bury Centre for Visual Arts, University fi ghting, living. And therein lies the of East Anglia, United Kingdom, 21 denouement of the fi lm— even as the May–13 August 2006. Curated by breath of life is leaving Nanna Maria, Dr Steven Hooper, Director of the it is being redirected into her family. Sainsbury Research Unit for the Arts One of the most exuberant moments of Africa, Oceania and the Americas, in No. 2 occurs during a fi ght scene University of East Anglia, on behalf between Tyson and Soul. As Nanna of the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Maria watches the mayhem unravel Arts, in collaboration with the British around her— the two cousins pummel- Museum. ing each other with their fi sts; a tree in fl ames; and the main course of the For people of Polynesian heritage, the feast, the pig, running loose —Nanna Pacifi c remains the center of the uni- Maria exclaims jubilantly, “Look at verse. The great ocean that separates all that life!” Indeed, such a state- our islands—Moana-nui-a-kiwa—also ment perfectly sums up the two fi lms connects and sustains us. We remain reviewed here. inextricably linked to our ancestors