VAI

Stories
New Zealand, 2019, 90 min.

Directed by: Becs Arahanga, Nicole Whippy, Sharon Whippy, Marina McCartney, Ofa Guttenbeil, Miria George, Dianna Fuemana, Amberley Jo Aumua, Matasila Freshwater
Cast: Mereani Tuimatanisiga, Betsy Luitolo, Evotia-Rose Araiti, Hinetu Dell, Agnes Pele, Fiona Collins, Maliaga Erick

Vai is an unconventional portmanteau film about the strength of Pacific Islander women. It was made by nine female filmmakers and filmed in seven different countries of the Pacific (Fiji, Tonga, Solomon Islands, Cook Islands, Samoa, Niue and New Zealand). In each of the eight stories, the individual filmmakers focus on the experiences of women who leave their families or traditions behind in search of work or education. We meet the individual protagonists of the stories – which are played by a different indigenous actress each time – at various stages of their lives. All of them however are called Vai, a word which means water in all of these Pacific nations.

Festivals and Awards:
Berlinale 2019
LA Asian Pacific Film Festival 2019
Roxbury International Film Festival 2019
Sydney Film Festival 2019
Edinburgh International Film Festival 2019
Seattle International Film Festival 2019