FIFO 2026 – Of the 44 films scheduled this year, ten documentaries have been selected for competition and will be judged by the jury and the public. Among the films is a documentary by Kimberlee Bassford, «Before the Moon Falls». A powerful film. Interview with the director.
When you started filming your film «Before the moon falls», did you know that Sia Fiegel suffered from mental disorders?
«At first, not at all. We discovered it a few years after the filming had begun. Initially, it was mainly a film centered on her works, on the artist she is. We were aware of her physical health issues, such as being overweight and having diabetes… but we knew nothing about her mental health.»
It is also for this reason that it turned into a tragedy; is it about diabetes?
«Yes, absolutely. It was a discussion with Caroline about diabetes that upset her and led her to commit the irreparable.»
The film was intended to be an artistic project and it took a different direction when you learned that she had mental health problems?
« Absolutely. When she shared her results with us, we knew that the film would partly be about that.»
What were your relationships with Sia? In the film, we can feel that you are very close to her and that you have good feelings towards her!
«I come from a journalism school and I had to be objective. I had to put distance between us to remain professional. At first, I really played the role of director, interviewing her. The more I learned about her and her problems, the closer we got. At that point, the film’s direction changed, in agreement with Sia. From then on, we exchanged more and more. And one event that brought us even closer was when she attempted suicide in the United States. At that moment, I decided to take her to Hawaii. Besides being the director, I became more concerned about her. I really wanted to help her, but I also wanted to keep my distance to be objective. In the end, it’s a complicated relationship to describe.»
There’s a lot of private conversations in the film; we hear that you’re worried; did you feel any guilt at the end, when she goes to prison for murder?
«I thought a lot after Sia’s passing. I took some psychology classes when I was in college, although I’m not an expert. I never noticed anything wrong with Sia and I never felt in danger when she was around. I was very worried that she would hurt herself, but I would never have thought that she could hurt another person. After her act, I spoke with psychotherapists and psychologists who told me that sometimes mental illnesses can deteriorate very quickly. Sometimes it can be really day and night. Even though I hung out a lot with Sia, she had her own mindset, her own personality. I think it’s also our perception of the world that we’re very poorly educated to perceive these illnesses in their complexity. I can’t say that I don’t feel any guilt, but sometimes I wonder if I could have changed things. But unfortunately, these are things that can happen when you suffer from mental illnesses.»
Has Sia seen the film?
«She saw the first version of the film before the murder took place and she went to prison. But she did not see the end. She could no longer participate in the development of the film after that.»
You felt sensitive towards her works, her writings, but at the same time you were horrified that she could have committed a crime. Today, how do you feel about what is being accused of against her? And wasn’t it difficult to finish your film?
«The goal of the film was really to show the compassion that one can have for Sia. But there are many factors to take into account. When the murder took place, I didn’t want to turn it into some kind of criminal documentary. So I focused on our original idea. Moreover, I have compassion for the victim and for the families of the victims. I didn’t want to excuse Sia’s actions, but I had to continue the film. It should be noted that this has shaken the communities in Samoa a lot. We had to take all of this into account. We tried to reconcile everything to achieve today’s result.»
Sia passed away in prison two weeks ago. Do you feel concerned about the issue of mental health today?
«I have always felt concerned about this issue. Everything that has happened saddens me. I think mental illnesses are not well known or considered. The film does not show the full complexity of the disease. However, I think the film can be a good starting point for a discussion on the subject. In our society, mental illnesses are stigmatized.»
Your film addresses several serious issues such as physical and sexual violence; we talk about suicide, abandonment, mental illness, murder, prison… What do you want us to take away from your film in the end? «There are indeed different difficult topics that are addressed, but I think they are all interconnected. I really want people to understand the complexity of mental illness. I don’t want to talk about a person who has bipolar disorder but about someone who has trauma who has been through life and has grown up in difficult social conditions. The illness just came to cover everything up. Human beings are complicated. I think that can happen even if there is a component missing from what Sia experienced. I would just like to add that if I made this film, it is also a message of hope for people. We shouldn’t fall into determinism and say that it was inevitable. I would like people to understand that with treatment, follow-up and support, things might have ended differently. We need to care for one another. That is also the role of communities. If Sia did not ask for help it was because she was ashamed of her community.»
Do you have any final words to add?
«As some of you may know, Sia passed away two weeks ago in prison. The screening of the film at FIFO is therefore a particularly emotional moment for us to reflect on her life and the lessons she left us. It is not easy. How do we grasp the complexity of a person whose light both illuminates and burns in the same way? I don’t have the answer, but I hope this film will help you deepen your own reflection.»
Biography of Sia Figiel
Sia Figiel, born in 1967 in Matautu Tai, Samoa, is a contemporary Samoan novelist, poet and painter. She writes in English.
Sia Figiel’s literary work was influenced by the traditional chants and poetry she learned growing up. She was educated in Samoa and then in New Zealand and the United States; she earned a master’s degree at Whitworth University. Figiel said she wanted to present Samoan culture «from a feminist perspective.» Her novel Where We Once Belonged («Where We Once Belonged,» translated into French under the title L’île sous la lune) describes, according to the New Zealand Herald, «a patriarchal society marked by deep gender disparities, violence sanctioned by the family, and an individual identity still dominated by the community.» In this novel, the central female character, Alofa, seeks to enjoy life with her friends, but must deal with the traditional values of Samoan society. Sia Figiel won the Polynesian Literary Competition for her poetry in 1994 and the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize (fiction category, South East Asia and South Pacific region) for L’île sous la lune in 1997.
She passed away on January 26 last year in the Tanumalala prison (Samoa). She had been in detention since 2024 for the alleged murder of Professor Caroline Sinavaiana-Gabbard.
(Source: Wikipedia)
Christian Robert, editor at Au vent des îles: «An immense Oceanic writer»
How to describe Sia Fiegel?
«It’s not easy. I would say she’s an immense Oceanic writer. She was a woman torn inside out. She was an artist who tried to survive in a world that didn’t really welcome her. She was also excessive in many ways, but Sia was also friendship, joy, laughter, but unfortunately, she had darker sides.»
How would you describe your works?
«The books she has published are very strong novels. It is a voice of a woman who experienced a complicated and violent childhood; a woman who, like Chantal Spitz in Polynesia, has put her voice into a world very dominated by men. She had the incredible courage to say things that shocked people. These are still very raw texts. I think of «Free love»; she doesn’t hesitate to talk about things that are taboo. If I had to describe her, I would say that she is a breaker of taboos.»
Photo credits: Read in Polynesia
When you learned that she was in prison for murdering her friend, how did you feel?
«I was extremely saddened. I was saddened for Caroline. I was saddened because I knew the strong bond that bound them together. Caroline Sinavaiana-Gabbard was like a mentor to Sia. Then we were all extremely saddened by her gesture. We were also saddened when we learned of her death. Personally, I saw Sia in circumstances where she could get carried away. After that, I read everything I could read about her but Sia was deeply hurt from within.»
What did you think of the documentary «Before the Moon Falls»?
«It's very well made. It really touched me. Not because our paths with Sia crossed over 20 years ago. I felt a lot of sadness for Caroline and her family and for Sia, who is a unique character and is seen in the film. After all, she committed a crime and we cannot excuse it. The documentary showed that this person was suffering greatly and that she had a mental health problem.»
Vaikehu Shan – FIFO Tahiti
Jenny Hunter – FIFO Tahiti
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