Over 100 movies at Maoriland festival

‘‘We're growing it for the benefit of a community that is both of here, and of places beyond here.’’

A film set in Vanuatu that was given Oscars consideration is one of the headliners at this year’s Maoriland Film festival.

Tanna, which was nominated an Oscar for best foreign language film, will be be shown at the fiveday indigenous film showcase in Otaki, north of Wellington, this week.

The event features more than 100 short and feature films from 15 countries and 71 indigenous nations.

Other offerings include seminars, workshops, an art exhi- bition and ‘Collisions’, a virtual reality film from Australia that gives the viewer a 360-degree view.

Tanna, set on the Vanuatian island of the same name, has been compared to Romeo and Juliet.

Filmed in Yakel, a village with traditional customs and beliefs, it is based on the true story of a love affair that blurs the line between custom and individual freedom, occurring in the 1980s.

None of the villagers had seen a camera, or acted, before the film’s seven-month shoot. As well as its 2017 Oscars nomination, it has been nominated for, and won, awards around the world since its 2015 release.

The festival also features eight New Zealand premiere films, including Sami Blood, a drama about a young Sami girl exposed to racism in 1930s Sweden. The movie won best nordic film at this year’s Gothenburg Film festival.

Other NZ premiere films include Angry Inuk, which sheds light on anti–seal hunting campaigns, and seal hunting’s relevance to the Inuit people, and Bonfire, which depicts a Siberian widower after an accident involving his son.

There is an emphasis on both the youthful and experienced at the festival - Otaki’s young people have picked the films they want to see, and their work will also be screened.

Native Slam 2, a 72-hour filmmaking project featuring five teams of three experienced filmmakers, was held before the festival begun.

Festival director Libby Hakaraia said they were growing something special.

‘‘We’re growing it for the benefit of a community that is both of here, and of places beyond here.’’

The event starts on Wednesday, and continues until Sunday night at seven venues around the lower North Island town. It is the fourth time the festival has been held.

More information can be found on the Maoriland Film festival website.