Five times Olympian and two-times gold medalist, Dame Valerie Adams brought home to Tonga her inspirational 'More than Gold' feature film, dedicated to her late mother Lilika Ngauamo of Houma.

On 2 November, the film's VIP screening hosted by the New Zealand High Commission at Tanoa Hotel was attended by Crown Prince Tupouto’a ‘Ulukalala as guest of honour with Prime Minister Hon. Hu’akavameiliku, Lord Vaea of Houma, New Zealand High Commissioner HE Matthew Howell and guests.

The 90-minutes feature film tells the inspirational story of this Olympian champion, one of New Zealand's most celebrated and succesful athletes. 

It featured her journey and how this strong teenager from Mangere in South Auckland, who lost her mother at the age of 15, trained to become the best in her sport of shot put in the world stage. She also never lost her Tongan roots and has maintained speaking and understanding the language up to this day.

She overcame extremely difficult challenges in her life, but also says her undying faith in her mother’s teachings shaped and motivated her to excel.

"This movie is dedicated to my beautiful mum, and I have strongly felt her presence since being back home.

“I am so grateful with all my heart for my mother’s teaching. I felt so emotional about this film when I watched it in New Zealand, but here in Tonga I feel more emotional because of the connection to my roots, and this is where I’m from, Mapu-‘a-Vaea."

Dame Valerie said she was worried about screening the film in Tonga but it was extremely important to have her story shared here.

“I was very nervous about bringing this film here, for many reasons. My goal before I started this journey that it was important for me to share my story, and more importantly to share my story here at home in Tonga."

She said that certain things displayed in the film may be culturally diverse, but that is the reality of daily life.

“My other fear was some colorful words that was on display, but the reality is, that’s normal life. I want to be real I want to be raw, and I wanted people to see my story in its truthfulness and its rawness and its authenticity behind it.

One of the various objectives for this film was to show the youth and hopefully be inspired, motivated and take what they can from it to keep pushing through challenges in life."

Dame Valerie also extended her gratitude to Lord Vaea and people in New Zealand, the NZ High Commission in Nuku'alofa and everybody that made this possible.

“I am grateful for everybody for believing in us and bringing this film here and for helping do so,” she said.

Producer, Leanne Pooley said it was important for them to bring her story to Tonga, particularly so for Dame Valerie who wanted to communicate her message of hope and tenacity with an audience here.

"Valerie, my friend, thank you for your honest and vulnerable and most importantly your trust, we’re here where we need to be hope you will all understand, after you watch the film, why we believed it was so important that ‘More than Gold’ was screened in Tonga."

Director, Briah March said she had made a lot of films, but this one was one of the most pleasurable, amazing and fun experience, and that is thanks to Dame Valerie.

"It’s been an incredible journey working with her, and it’s just something about what Dame Valerie did in this film. She gave her whole self and that is a really challenging thing to do.

“As we were making this film, she was going to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and that inspired something, with being a mother and having two young children. She allowed myself and my crew into her house, into the gym and in many different places and spaces. She showed everything of her life, she didn’t hide away from anything."

March also said one of the resounding things about this film is resilience.

"I know that everybody here tonight will relate to that, with the last three years have been incredibly hard for all of you here in Tonga with COVID and then with the volcano eruption and tsunami. I really hope that you will take something away from this, to see the way that Dame Valerie has worked through these challenges is something we can all find inspiring. And I know even myself I find this very very inspiring."

Lord Vaea also thanked Dame Valerie for returning home with her film that will inspire many.

The film is being screened for free for the rest of the week to youths and school students in Nuku'alofa. At the same time, it is being shown in New Zealand cinemas.

Assistance for this film launch included Tanoa Hotel and Air New Zealand.