2023 Films selection
Discover the Selection of films that will be presented at FIFO 2023.
The films have been selected by a Preselection Committee and are divided into 4 categories :
Competing
Films
13 films selected in this category
Non-competing films
12 films selected in this category
Short
Films
8 short
documentaries
Oceanian
fiction
13th Night of Oceanian Fiction (9 films)
COMPETING FILMS
Ten to fifteen films are selected in the Competing Films category each year because they are the very essence of FIFO. While several themes mesh the FIFO selection, the films in this category testify both to the great diversity of Oceania but also to the technical quality of film productions in the region.
A BOY CALLED PIANO – THE STORY OF FA’AMOANA JOHN LUAFUTU
Summary : In New Zealand, Fa’amoana John Luafutu was born into a Samoan emigrant family around 1960. An innocent baby, he has childhood memories of piano and singing. But John was put into state care, at the age of 11, leaving his mother to live in a camp. He was not the only one. Today […]
ABLAZE
Summary : In Australia, Tiriki Onus thought he knew everything about his grandfather Bill who was a cultural leader, entrepreneur, impresario, comedian and activist… But it also appears that he was the first Aboriginal filmmaker and actually made a number of films. Tiriki begins to research the strange past of this charismatic man. As shown […]
ANDI – MARIE-CLAUDE TJIBAOU
Summary : New Caledonia and the portrait of an undisputedly influential woman: the widow of Jean Marie Tjibaou, lives a life linked to the history of her country. But who is she really? Marie-Claude? Or Andi her traditional name? A member of the Council of Elders? The founder of the Tjibaou Centre? The secretive and […]
CLEAN
Summary : In Melbourne, Australia, Sandra Pankurst runs a business specialising in the cleaning of very messy, dirty places, drug laboratories, death and murder scenes… This very surprising character, traumatised by her own past, has surrounded herself with qualified personnel ready to help her. The film is surprising and shows the strength of life and […]
DAME VALERIE ADAMS: MORE THAN GOLD
Summary : Portrait of A woman: Valerie Adams, 4-time Olympic shot put champion. This Tongan-born sportswoman with her exceptional physique and stamina has become an icon for New Zealand. Before the games she said “Why am I going? Because I can.” An incredible multitasker: mother, wife, sister, and in the face of illness… a fighter […]
FRANKLIN
Summary : In Tasmania, Australia lies a valley and the wild and magnificent Franklin river. Oliver Cassidy takes a solo rafting trip down the river, paying homage to his father and to this majestic river that has remained free, despite plans in the 1980s to build a hydroelectric dam. It was saved then, along with […]
INCARCERATION NATION
Summary : Incarceration Nation exposes the Australian state’s relentless response to Aboriginal people. The film links this response to the colonial legacy and shows discrimination and trauma. Is it pure chance that Aborigines represent 23% of the incarcerated population while they are only 3% of the total population? A story of a difficult past and […]
MILKED
Summary : A young activist goes deep into dairy land where he takes on the giants of New Zealand’s most powerful industry, and reveals how the sacred cash-cow industry has been milked dry. His journey exposes not only the sustainability crisis and the dangerous denial of impending agricultural disruption, but also what New Zealand and […]
MOTU HAKA, LE COMBAT DES ÎLES MARQUISES
Summary : For more than 40 years, in the Marquesas Islands, the members of the Motu Haka Association have united to gather, safeguard and enhance what remains of their culture. Thanks to the battles they have fought, the Marquesan people can honour their origins and display them with fervour during their traditional arts festival. It […]
NO MĀORI ALLOWED
Summary : When painful memories have been hidden and are linked to segregation, racist acts, with acts of violence, should they be kept silent? “No”, says a teacher in this New Zealand film. A town is confronted with a past that is difficult to accept, to unveil. But “history belongs to no one”… Film details […]
THE HEALER STONES OF KAPAEMAHU
Summary : Hawaii. Near the famous Waikīkī Beach in Honolulu, four stone giants have long stood as mana-laden souvenirs left by four Tahitian māhū who came in ancient times to bring their knowledge, especially that of healing. Could the history of these māhū, gradually erased from the local culture, recover its rightful place thanks to […]
WAAN YAAT – SUR UNE TERRE DE LA RÉPUBLIQUE
Summary : This film retraces one of the bloody episodes of the “Events” in New Caledonia. On December 5th 1984, in Waan Yaat, in the Hienghene valley, a trap was set by settlers terrified by the risk of being chased off “their” land, some independentists are victims of an ambush resulting in 10 dead, 5 […]
WATERMAN
Summary : The portrait of an exceptional man, a native Hawaiian, Paoa Kahanamoku, also known as Duke, who became a living legend in the 1910’s by becoming a five-time Olympic swimming medalist for the United States at a very segregated time. Full of charm, kind and smiling, this adventurer made the Polynesian sport of surfing, […]
NON-COMPETING FILMS
The non-competing films presented at FIFO are a selection of complementary films which can shed new light, or even a new approach in the way of approaching the issues of the Pacific.
AGE OF RAGE – THE AUSTRALIAN PUNK REVOLUTION
Summary : When the punk movement arrived in Australia in the 1970s, it was welcomed with open arms. The punk attitude was embraced and personalized by many young urban Australians: this was the birth of a passionate counter-culture, of fighting against the bomb and capitalism, but for music and freedom. From provocation to lifestyle. Due […]
CHATHAM ISLANDERS
Summary : The Chatham Islands are a solitary archipelago situated to the south-east of and dependent upon New Zealand, the islanders’ strength lies in their sense of community. The first inhabitants, the Moriori, came from eastern Polynesia a thousand years ago with their language, arts and customs… Non-violent even in the face of invaders: A […]
EDOU ET THUTHU, NOS TRAVERSÉES REGGAE
Summary : This film is based on the portraits of two men, Edou and Thuthukani Cele, Edou is a Kanak musician from Lifou. Thuthukani Cele is a South African musician, this is the story of their friendship, common passion for music and the immense pleasure they find in sharing their favourite music: reggae. Film details […]
GREENHOUSE BY JOOST
Summary : This is the story of the construction of a house in Melbourne: the house of Joost Bakker an environmentalist. The documentary follows Bakker and his project for a year as he aims to build a house that is a complete ecosystem providing shelter, food, water and energy to its inhabitants. It is the […]
J’AI SIGNÉ
Summary : In French Polynesia, religion appears to promise an effective remedy for smoking, alcohol and drug addictions. Take a sheet of paper, a pen, a signature and add a commitment before God… This is the story of Father Christophe, vicar of the cathedral of Pape’ete with various testimonies and commentary from addiction specialists. Film […]
KĀHULI
Summary : In Hawaii, there are many species of snails, often with beautiful shells, but even though they play an important role in the local culture and Hawaiian ecosystem, some species are in danger of extinction. This leads to problems more complex than they first seem. The film and the beauty of its images refresh […]
LES TROIS MAISONS DU PÈRE RODET
Summary : The New Hebrides, a Franco-British colony, became Vanuatu in 1980. After 140 years of colonisation and evangelisation, it’s a country in search of its culture. Father Rodet, a missionary in the country since 1960, has made his choice: this Marist brother helps his flock to find places linked to their culture, ancestor worship […]
MORUROA PAPA
Summary : Here, a French father who took part in the nuclear tests on Moruroa in the 1970s, a Polynesian mother and their adult son, who now lives in France, question each other and their memories. Visiting his parents in Rurutu, the son tries to understand what Moruroa was, how it was experienced… What was […]
PASSEUR DE LÉGENDES
Summary : In French Polynesia, Matorai, a young Polynesian is in search of his identity… He practices an ancestral art called ‘ōrero, this is the art of declamation in a Polynesian language. This passionate youngster allows us to participate in the preparation of his ‘ōrero. This art highlights not only the beauty and richness of […]
RAPA, NAÎTRE ICI VIVRE LÀ-BAS
Summary : Rapa in French Polynesia is an isolated, mysterious and bewitching island. There’s a very strong link connecting those who were born there to their lands, but it is also a land that one leaves behind. When he joined the army as a young man, this is what Toti did and he now lives […]
SENSES OF CINEMA
Summary : Australia in the 1960’s… The “new wave” of Australian cinema… Experiments, “underground” testing Australian style: breasts, bellies, bodies. Communities, making films, showing them… Feminism, Marxism, Avant-gardism… Questing, even making films about Aborigines. A journey through Australian cinema and its music: the reflection of an evolving art. Film details : 2022 – AUSTRALIA – […]
WALLIS ET FUTUNA, UNE HISTOIRE SINGULIÈRE
Summary : Wallis and Futuna are two Pacific islands that together form a small French territory. Since its settlement in 800 BC, they’ve had a complex history, however today the islands have managed to reconcile their traditional customs of monarchy with the system of the French republic, under the name of “overseas community”. An unusual […]
SHORT FILMS
The “Short Films” is the annual event that opens the door to the region’s audiovisual know-how and on the storytelling talent of our Oceanian cousins. An evening to travel to the borders of Oceanian stories, cultures and imaginary worlds! This evening will focus on the themes of family, love and identity.
FAST EDDIE
Summary : In New Zealand, Eddie suffers from a serious illness, a neurodegenerative disorder that has robbed him of his voice, his mobility and above all a normal life. His daughter Kelly organises and completes a challenging bike ride around Otago Lake with him. Film details : 2022 – AOTEAROA – 9 minEnglish version subtitled […]
HE ŌHĀKĪ – IMPARTING WORDS OF WISDOM
Summary : Aotearoa in 1986. John Rangihau led a committee that delivered a very harsh public report on New Zealand’s institutional racism, the Riao Te Ata To. It was unprecedented. His daughter Kararaina contributes through this film to the defence of the Māori and her father’s vision of a country of which future generations can […]
KAVA ‘O AOTEAROA
Summary : In New Zealand a group of cultural custodians is preparing a kava ceremony, Tongan style. The idea is to create a place and moments of traditional culture within the contemporary, westernised world. Film details : 2022 – AOTEAROA – 9 minEnglish version subtitled in FrenchDirector : Joshua Teariki BakerProducer : Maria Tanner
LE RĀHUI POUR LA BIODIVERSITÉ
Summary : This is the Tahitian peninsula, Teahupo’o and Tautira. On an island where life depends on the ocean, the rāhui is a very useful ancestral tradition that can be kept alive by adapting it to better manage the biodiversity, with protected areas agreed to by all. Tamatoa Bambridge, an anthropologist, shows us how it […]
MANA OVER METH
Summary : Aotearoa and methamphetamine. Jessica Apanui seeks to transform her life, a life devastated by drug addiction. To do this and protect her child, she analyses her past, frees her mind and recovers her mana. Because mana is stronger than drugs! Film details : 2022 – AOTEAROA – 11 minEnglish version subtitled in FrenchDirector : […]
MOURNING COUNTRY
Summary : Noel Buttler, an Aboriginal man, stands on the ashes of his property after the devastating fires of 2020 in Australia. Trees and animals are gone. Species are extinct. Even on this piece of land where he worked so hard… “Learn today for a better tomorrow”. Greed and mismanagement are widespread but the aboriginal […]
TESTIMONY
Summary : In New Zealand the Prime Minister made a public apology for the dawn raids by police 45 years earlier. Tesimoni Fuaavao’s Tongan parents were wrongly imprisoned and Tesimoni was the unwitting cause. Today he regrets having been the cause of his family’s shame and worries. Film details : 2022 – AOTEAROA – 10 […]
THE DREAMLIFE OF GEORGIE STONE
Summary : This film tells the extraordinary story of a young transgender woman in Australia. As a young woman she helped change the law. Later she was able to assert herself and become the adult she wanted to be. Film details : 2021 – AUSTRALIA – 28 minEnglish version subtitled in FrenchDirector : Maya NewellProducer : Georgie […]
13th Oceanian Fiction Night
Grand Theater – Saturday 4th February – 7pm
Since 2007, FIFO has opened its screens to fiction. The idea: a selection of short fiction films, each lasting less than 30 minutes. Diversity, creativity, identity, originality, traditions and modernity, a few portraits, a quality selection. Not to be missed… and to be enjoyed without moderation!
E MALAMA PONO WILLY BOY
Summary : Called in on his day off to evict the occupants of a community camp deemed illegal by the state, a Hawaiian police officer is forced to choose between supporting his family, obeying the law or doing what he thinks is right… Film details : 2020 – HAWAII – 7 minEnglish version subtitled in […]
FIND WHERE I BELONG
Summary : Life on the streets of New Zealand for two homeless men: John, the older man, seems to like this life and to be at home here. Elvis, the Marquesan, dreams of returning to his island. Good relations and understanding v. confrontation, separation and mutual aid… Film details : 2022 – FRENCH POLYNESIA – […]
INHERITANCE
Summary : In Hawaii a young photographer tries to make a living from his photos of Hawaiian nature and volcanoes. But he must also confront the legacy of his family’s pain. A beautiful film full of melancholy and hope. Film details : 2022 – HAWAII – 19 minEnglish version subtitled in FrenchDirector : Erin LauProducer : Zoe […]
LA NAISSANCE D’UN GUERRIER
Summary : Siwane, a young Kanak, is in France as part of a New Caledonian dance troupe during a cultural exchange. In the wings of a Parisian theatre, dressed in his traditional fern costume, he finds it difficult to accept the resulting astonished looks. Film details : 2021 – NEW CALEDONIA, FRANCE – 22 minFrench […]
PERIANAYAKI
Summary : In New Zealand, the invisible Perianayaki is an emigrant from Sri Lanka. She does not speak English. She has a job stocking the shelves of the local supermarket, and at the end of the day she dresses up in style. Where does she spend her evenings? Film details : 2022 – AOTEAROA – […]
PINK REEF
Summary : Australia. A mermaid in search of her identity, living in a suburban world with no running water…encounters with isolation, disconnection and psychic disorder? How to integrate into such a strange universe? Film details : 2022 – AUSTRALIA – 11 minEnglish version subtitled in FrenchDirector : Chloe de BritoProducer : Bleu Electrik
READY FORWARD
Summary : Hawaii and a couple of lonely retirees… Loving each other, they struggle to overcome their differences and their guilt. Will they really be able to get along together? Film details : 2021 – HAWAII – 25 minEnglish version subtitled in FrenchDirector : Jim JostProducer : Deborah Glazier, Stasia Droze Jost, Jim Jost
SINA MA TINIRAU
Summary : Hawaii and a cartoon based on a Fijian legend. When a prince is cursed by an eel, he must win the love of a beautiful woman to become human again. Can Sina, a fearless young girl, give “Ugly” his freedom? The story of an identity… Film details : 2020 – HAWAII – 9 […]
VICTIM
Summary : Australia, 2022. A single mother and her son. Beau is just a teenager, like every other teenager. But his behaviour grows increasingly alarming to his mother. Will her love for her son suffice? A suggestive thriller depicting domestic disturbance in less than 15 minutes. Film details : 2022 – AUSTRALIA – 15 minEnglish […]
French