One Thousand Ropes
Written and directed by Tusi Tamasese, ‘One Thousand Ropes’ had its world premiere last week at the Berlin International Film Festival.
The second much awaited feature from the director of 'The Orator', 'One Thousand Ropes' is a haunting and emotional Samoan film about navigating relationships and redemption. Tamasese tells the story of a Samoan father attempting to redeem his violent past and rebuild a relationship with his daughter. The film stars Uelese Petaia as the main character and Frankie Adams as his daughter.
In the same way that ‘The Orator’ (also written and directed by Tamasese) was specific in its cinematic aesthetic and pace, One Thousand Ropes is also extremely visually unique. It's difficult to assign one particular genre to this film, as it feels like a mixture of drama, horror and thriller. Tamasese's approach to storytelling tends not to conform to typical styles of filmmaking. The predominant use of Samoan language makes One Thousand Ropes an especially unique film. The sparse presence of English speaks to the intergenerational disconnect with language, as we see the young characters speaking in English, and their elders responding in Samoan.
"It's a film about humanity. The response here has been quite encouraging and I hope words spread out and sets it up for us Kiwis back home." - Tusi Tamsese from Berlin.
Out of the small number of Pacific-centric films, the early works failed to represent the heart of Pacific people and Pacific culture, eg - Mutiny on the Bounty, South Pacific and Blue Hawai'i, where we see Pacific people and customs misportrayed or subject to sterotypes.
Then came New Zealand films like 'Sons from the Return Home' and 'Flying Fox in a Freedom Tree' - both made from Albert Wendt stories.
The first New Zealand films written or directed by Pacific people weren't until the mid 2000's, where we saw the iconic 'Sione's Wedding' by Oscar Kightly and 'NO2' by Toa Fraser. These refreshing pieces of cinema gave audiences a real taste of Pacific flavour for the first time.
Another recent Pacific film was 'Three Wise Cousins' - the first trifecta written, directed and produced by Samoan Stallone Vaiaoga-Ioasa. Another hugely successfull Pacific comedy.
What distinguishes 'One Thousand Ropes' from these successful Pacific films, is the serious and brooding tone. It is certainly not a comedy, which is what we are used to seeing Pacific films thrive at. 'One Thousand Ropes' gives viewers a raw and relatable insight into the lives of Samoans living in New Zealand. Tamasese also doesn't hold back when speaking to issues such as violence - a running theme throughout the film. This makes 'One Thousand Ropes' a bold and culturally important piece of cinema.
Samoan actress Frankie Adams (below) plays the role of Ilisa.
"The premiere at Berlinale was an amazing experience. I had a little anxiety as this was my first feature film and I'd never seen myself on a screen that large but the response was positive. The audience felt very moved and curious. It really is a film that challenges the way you think and each person will have a different perspective of it. It was beautiful presenting a Samoan/NZ film to an international audience. The film translated with ease and I felt immensely proud to call Samoa home." - Adams.
Frankie is also a core cast member in the new science fiction drama 'The Expanse'.
"In many ways OTR and The Expanse were different. The main being The Expanse has bigger sets, crew, budget etc. But OTR had a level of intimacy that is very rare on any set. The story was so delicate that the energy on set was different but incredibly rewarding. The women I play have obvious physical differences but both share a vulnerability and strength that make them both challenging and wonderful to play."