Coco Talanoa — Coco News / Page 46

Ngā Whanaunga Māori Pasifika Short Film Programme has been screened all over Aotearoa as part of the NZ International Film Festival. They have some amazing short films playing as part of their line up this year including the Pasifika Short film 'Liliu' directed by Jeremiah Tauamiti and produced by Ngaire Fuata.  Jeremiah is also the only New Zealand director with TWO films in NZIFF this year.  

Wellington Pacific dancer and choreographer Tupe Lualua will embark on a journey exploring the traditional role of the taule'ale'a (untitled man) within the village community as the 2019 Creative New Zealand Sāmoa Artist in Residence.

The three month residency is offered in partnership with the National University of Sāmoa with support from the New Zealand High Commission in Apia. It offers a chance for mid-career or established New Zealand artists of Pacific heritage to develop their skills and practice.

Tupe has travelled to Sāmoa over the last few years with her dance company Le Moana for community outreach programmes at local schools and special performances. She will research the role of the taule’ale’a and the aumaga (the social class of untitled men) acknowledging how vital their indigenous knowledge is for the ecology of Sāmoan culture and society.

“The aumaga are responsible for the labour intensive duties, including working the ma’umaga (plantation), fishing, building, cooking, attending to the everyday needs of the elders and continuous service to the wider village community,” says Tupe.…more

It's Fathers Day in the USA today and Jason Momoa has shared this beautiful video.

He writes: - 

For me, it started off so simple. A boy on a motorcycle for the first time tearing through the backyard. It was only a moment in time,  but the ride changed something in me, it was the moment where the wild stomped in.

I saved an old rusty motor to build a bike one day, and it’s taken three decades to fulfill the dream. Over the years the dream evolved and now all I wanted was to build a bike with my children, to give them the same experience I had as a child, to give them the wind, and the freedom of the ride.

A broken motor inspired a dream, and taught me it’s better to share those moments with my babies, the moment where the wild stomped in.

What started out as a visit to Harley-Davidson to pay my respects turned into a new partnership. I wanted to honor their legacy, too ride is in my blood.…more

Pua Magasiva beloved father, brother, son and actor lit up our screens and our lives with his joy and light.

He has been put to rest by the hundreds who loved him from around the country in a beautiful outpouring of alofa.

Manuia lau malaga from the huge community of people who loved you.

By  Moemoana Schwenke 

So this year Siva Afi teine Toa from all around the world were blessed with a women’s open division for the World Fireknife Championships held in Hawaii at the Polynesian Cultural Centre.Stars aligned and 7 strong and fierce women met in one place to go head to head in a tough competition.

It was an empowering moment for myself just to be apart of it, history in the making. Besides being just a siva Afi competition it really was also celebrating the fact that women can do anything. It was definitely nerve racking but when I was fortunate enough to forward onto the finals I really just felt so proud to be a woman and to be a Samoan, and knowing that made me feel like a winner already.

Before a show hands get sweaty, you may start doing yourself or fear dropping or losing control of the stick, but nerves disappear when you believe in yourself and believe that you know your stuff. Being a female Fireknife dancer is very special.…more

Youth worker Tevita Hamani shares why he's Fresh out da Box and talks about his upbringing, family and why he's passionate about the involvement of youth in politics as a member of Tongas Youth Parliament.

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Credit:  Malosi Pictures & Tutu on the Beach 

In 2019, Time Magazine named their TIME 100 Most Influential people in the world and Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson not only covered Time but was the one and only Polynesian to have made the list.  

This year (2020) he's amassed more than 200 million followers on Instagram making him the #1 most followed man in America and the #1 most followed American man in the world! 

In his Instagram post celebrating this milestone he wrote “Always speak your truth, and do your best to speak your truth with compassion, with a little bit of poise, with a little bit of dignity, with respect and with empathy. Even when speaking your truth means you’re going to dive into some conversations that might make people a little uncomfortable”

He was obviously referring to his recent decision to endorse Joe Biden as president, the first time he has declared for a candidate.…more

2019 is the year of the Brown Female Story in Aotearoa!  So many great stories from the sistas of the Moana Nui A Kiwa are exploding on the big screen this year with an unprecedented number of films made by and about Polynesian women. 

The critically acclaimed story of the legendary Merata Mita just got picked up by Ava DuVernay's "Array" distribution company.  The film made by Maori producer Chelsea Winstanley and Merata's son Heperi Mita opened to rave reviews in Aotearoa before its Sundance premiere in February. Celebrating the life of the first Polynesian woman to direct a film, 'Merata' is an ode to the singular vision of this filmaker, a solo mother of 6 who pursued her dream of filmmaking until the end. 

Also on NZ screens this year is the multi director feature film 'Vai' made by Papuan producer Kerry Warkia and featuring the stories of 9 different Pacific directors.…more

Tongan female director Vea Mafile'o has the amazing feat of having two of her films premiere at the Berlinale Native festival this year.

Alongside a host of other largely female driven films like the multi Pacific director film 'Vai', Mafile'os documentary 'For My Fathers Kingdom' and her short film 'Toa'ipuapuagā Strength in Suffering' about Toa the young girl who hit headlines with her 'stigmata' bleeding, are both in the line up.

For Vea making the first fully funded Pacific documentary film in Aotearoa was an epic feat that is now beginning to pay off as this unique story is launched to the world:  

"It's been a long hard emotional journey, over the 3 years of making the film we have faced many challenges, its pushed us to our limits there has been no separation from work and life, literally babies on the edit room floor!  But our familys & our people have helped carry the load, this was a true collaboration of family, for trusting us with their truths and the willingness to share with others.…more

Keys Down, Real Talk – True Story #3

“You know your parents shouldn’t be drinking and driving but you don’t say anything because you think it’s going to be alright…they’ve been doing it for years”

Here is the 2nd #KeysDownRealTalk story featuring Swiss.  The campaign message is simple: there’s no safe level of alcohol when you’re driving.

#KeysDownRealTalk is a new campaign aimed at reducing drink driving. The community-led initiative features three video stories created in collaboration between, South Auckland award winning sound/music & video producer Anonymouz, and three popular South Auckland urban music artists - Tha Movement, Mareko, Swiss and Ōtāhuhu-based DB Breweries.

#DontDrinkAndDrive