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IndiGen Films

For the festive season, I am offering two films that have been directed by Vilsoni Hereniko, a Rotuman scholar, filmmaker and playwright based at the University of Hawai’i, and been produced via the ERC project on ‘Indigeneities in the 21st century’ (www.indigen.eu) that I am directing at our institute.

The first one, Sina ma Tinirau:
When a prince is cursed to become an eel and has to win the love of a beautiful woman to become human again, he gifts her with his body in the form of a coconut palm tree in a seductive display. Set on Rotuma in Fiji, this classic tale of unconditional love is given new meaning and relevance today as it explores issues of conservation, tradition versus freedom, and prejudice against black skin among ‘Polynesians’. P.S. Sina and Tinirau are two mythological icons in Rotuman oral literature. Sina is a very beautiful woman while Tinirau is a handsome man. Both names often appear in Rotuman poetry and legends.

Sina ma Tinirau can be watched here: https://www.indigen.eu/blog/sina-ma-tinirau-now-online

Fillstill: Woven

The second one, Woven:
An Indigenous artist tries to revive the ancient tradition of basket weaving with coconuts leaves in an urban park by the Pacific Ocean. Despite being chased by security guards in a city of high rises who question his presence, he perseveres through rain and rejection. As he completes a stunning basket, an encounter with a homeless couple brings a glimmer of hope for his art form, highlighting the struggle of maintaining traditional practices in a city that has forgotten his roots.

Woven recently celebrated its premier at the Hawai’i International Film Festival and is now touring the festival circuit. The trailer can be watched here: https://www.vilsonihereniko.com/films/woven

Happy watching,
Philipp Schorch

Professor Museum Anthropology, LMU Munich
ERC Group ‚Indigeneities in the 21st century‘
www.indigen.eu