Written and directed by nine Pacific female filmmakers and filmed on seven Pacific islands, “Vai” depicts one woman’s life story in eight separate moments. When a young Vai asks a woman how to sing like she does, she’s told, “What I will do is teach you how to use your own beautiful voice.” The empowering feature sees Vai becoming increasingly confident in using her voice and speaking her mind.
The clip depicts Vai leaving home behind to attend university. Told by some she needs to cut out “distractions” from her life and others that school is simply teaching her how to “cause trouble,” Vai says she’s tired of being molded into who other people want her to be. “My family [and] village has sacrificed so much for me to be here, and I’m not going to waste that,” she says of her education.
“Vai” means water in Maori. The character is played by a different indigenous actress in each of the Pacific countries the coming-of-age pic was filmed in: Fiji, Tonga, Solomon Islands, Kuki Airani (Cook Islands), Samoa, Niue, and Aotearoa (New Zealand).
Set to premiere at the Berlinale’s NATIVe strand this month before playing at SXSW in March, “Vai” is directed by Nicole Whippy, ‘Ofa-Ki-Levuka Guttenbeil-Likiliki, Matasila Freshwater, Amberley Jo Aumua, Mīria George, Marina Alofagia McCartney, Dianna Fuemana, and Becs Arahanga. They were joined by Sharon Whippy in penning the script.
