The film Vai premiered at the Nuku’alofa Film Festival last night, 3 October, to a full house, as part of a list of international and national films from the Pacific screening at the Tanoa Hotel.

Vai was directed and written by nine female Pacific filmmakers including Tonga's ‘Ofa Guttenbeil-Likiliki, and filmed on seven Pacific Islands; Fiji, Tonga, Solomon Islands, Kuki Airani (Cook Islands), Samoa, Niue and Aotearoa (New Zealand).

The film is about female empowerment across the Pacific and was told through the story of a woman named Vai, played by different indegenious actresses in each of the islands depicting different stages of her life.

Vai means water in each of these countries.

The premiere screening was attended by HRH Princess Pilolevu, Lord Tuita, Hon. Fatafehi Tuita, the New Zealand High Commissioner HE Tiffany Babington, and guests.  

The Nuku'alofa Film Festival started on 25 September with a documentary on Tahiti called Ma'ohi Nui, in the heart of the ocean my country.

On 2 October, a documentary from Easter Island called Eating up Easter was shown. The film about its native people, looks at the issues of pollution and development in a sustainable manner.

Next week, October 9-10, a number of short films have been selected for screening starting at 7:00pm, at the Tanoa Hotel.

The festival wraps up on October 11 with a final documentary, For my Father’s Kingdom, directed by Vea Mafile’o, and Jeremiah Tauamiti. The film follows Vea’s father, a Tongan pensioner who lives in New Zealand, and his family, exploring his strong ties with church, and the Tongan culture and tradition.