Through the Oceanic Lens presents a diverse selection of films by Pacific Indigenous filmmakers in the context of the Oceanic Visions / Moana te kite exhibition.

The screening programme includes documentaries, animation, and fiction films that explore Oceanic approaches to resistance and empowerment. From Merata Mita’s pioneering work as the first woman in Aotearoa, New Zealand, to write and direct a movie, to contemporary accounts of the Ruatoki community resilience, each screening will provide a different experience of life in colonial settings from a Pacific perspective.

Screening 1
Thursday 8 May
6.30–8pm

Vai, 2019, 1 hr 30 mins
Directors: Becs Arahanga, Amberley Jo Aumua, Matasila Freshwater, Dianna Fuemana, Miria George, Ofa Guttenbeil, Marina Alofagia McCartney, Nicole Whippy, Sharon Whippy

Vai is a portmanteau feature crafted from eight short films by nine female Pacific filmmakers. It narrates the story of eight stages in a woman’s life from the perspective of different Pacific Islands including Fiji, Tonga, Solomon Islands, Cook Islands, Samoa, Niue, and Aotearoa (New Zealand).

Free, book here

Screening 2
Thursday 15 May
6.30–7pm

Bastion Point: Day 507, 1980, 27 mins. Director: Merata Mita

Legendary filmmaker Merata Mita’s documentary Bastion Point was filmed on day 507 of the Ngāti Whātua Orākei tribe’s protest for land rights. It records the forced evictions from their traditional Takaparawhau (Bastion Point) land in Auckland that led to confrontations between the police and the community.

Free, book here

Screening 3
Thursday 22 May
6.30–8.30pm

Muru, 2022, 1 hr 34 mins. Director: Tearepa Kahi

Inspired by actual events, Muru is the story of a local Police Sergeant, ‘Taffy’ Tawharau (Cliff Curtis), who must choose between his badge and his people when the Government launches an armed raid through the Ruatoki community on a school day.

Free, book here

Screening 4
Saturday 24 May
4-4.30pm
Animation shorts

Aikāne, 2023, 14 mins. Directors: Dean Hamer, Daniel Sousa, Joe Wilson

Created by Hawai’i-based filmmakers Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson, and animated by Daniel Sousait, Aikāne is a protean love story rooted in native Hawaiian Tradition. The short film follows two queer lovers — a warrior and his shape-shifting advisor — as they battle colonial evil.

Kapaemahu, 2020, 9 mins. Directors: Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson, Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu

Long ago, four extraordinary beings of dual male and female spirit brought the healing arts to Hawai’i and imbued their powers in four giant boulders. The stones still stand on the renowned Waikiki Beach, but their true story has been hidden - until now.

Free, book here

Animation Workshop
Saturday 24 May
5–7pm
Free, for 11–16 year olds
Numbers strictly limited – book here

After the shorts screening we are holding a free animation workshop for young people exploring the theme of flow and shape-shifting, inspired by the animated films Aikāne and Kapaemahu. Together we’ll experiment with different animation techniques to bring our own stories to life through transformation and world building. No experience needed and open to all!