Humans Of The Islands - Lilian Su'a
Lilian Su’a
Samoan
Theatre Director, Aspiring Film Director
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What inspired you to work in theatre and film?
I’ve always wanted to make films because I loved watching movies when I was little. There was one fale in our village in Fugalei, and they had a TV. Whenever they turned it on I I would just kind of stand outside their fale by the pillars and just peak in. Back then, they’d be playing imported movies from America like The Lion King. We would watch Cartoons and it was like the ‘in’ thing in the village. Myself and the village kids would just stand outside and watch and we weren’t allowed to go inside the house unless the owner would see us and invite us in. It was the only fale in our whole village that had a TV and that’s where you would find all the kids. I guess that’s where my fascination with movies started.
And that led you to what you’re doing now?
Yes - directing and writing Theatre productions. It took me a while to realize I was actually doing that because at first I thought I was really just helping people out until I started getting feedback and realized – I’m actually doing this! Writing scripts and directing actors! It kind of felt unreal to me that I was actually doing what I’d always dreamed of doing – directing on stage and creating a project to turn it into film.
What was it like adjusting to New Zealand after you were born and raised in Samoa for most of your childhood there?
It was hard, I was 12. My older cousins teased and bullied me a lot because I was ‘fresh’. So I hated things like my mum braiding my hair because my cousins would tease me about it and call me a ‘fob’. Education was easy because I already spoke English and once I found friends, I really enjoyed school. But growing up in Samoa - I really loved the island life. I loved being free as a child outside, playing with my neighbours, climbing trees. I love my culture, I love the way I was brought up, even the way I was disciplined. And my family was a lot closer back then in the islands, maybe because we had less and we were always together.
Describe what your ‘My Story’ production is about?
The ‘My Story’ production was basically inspired by some of the challenging issues that some of the young people I knew, had faced. Through my experiences from serving in the Youth ministry at church and also working with other young people outside of church, I saw how devastated so many of our pacific youth were because of issues such as sexual abuse, suicide, depression, loss of identity. Something in me just clicked and I wanted to help some of the youth I was working with in New Zealand to share their stories and encourage others. I was studying Film at University at the time and with the help of a team of people from my church family and friends we put the first production together. The production gave young people a platform to tell their stories.
What’s happened since that first production?
Since then we’ve done the production twice in New Zealand – Part One and Part Two. We’ve also taken it to Fiji and performed it there. And last year I collaborated with Award winning Composer and Producer Igelese Ete as well as Music producer Sam Tuuga and artist Mark Lowndes in Brisbane to create the ‘My Story The Journey’ theatre production. I never really thought ‘My Story’ would go anywhere further than South Auckland. I just thought, if I can help some of the youth here in Otara, etc. that would be good but I never thought it would go this far.
In your theatre plays, do you ever talk about your own story? Experiences?
The next ‘My Story’ series is about my own story. Some of my childhood memories back home were haunted by sexual abuse I had experienced as a child. Back then I remember telling myself not to ever talk about it to anyone else. The Fa’asamoa way is that you sweep things under the carpet because of pride, the family name and the shame of disgrace. But I’ll finally be telling my own story, and I have the courage to do that now. There’s a respect I hold for my culture, and for my family and then there’s the rawness and the truth about what did happen and what is happening in the Islands right now. I want to make sure that there’s a balance. I don’t want to bash my culture, it doesn’t just happen in Samoan communities, it happens everywhere. I want to respect my culture and traditions but I also know that like so many others, this is ‘My Story’ and no one can take that away.
What cultural values do you try to uphold?
The older I get, the more proud I am of the fact that I was born and raised in the islands. Especially when I see a lot of people in my generation who wish they knew more about their culture and how to siva samoa, speak the language or know more about fa’asamoa. I’m proud that I know these things – I know where I’m from and there’s a confidence I hold in that in terms of being a Samoan woman. There’s a saying in Samoan “E te iloa le tamaitai Samoa I la na tu ma la na aganuu” meaning, you know a Samoan girl by the way she speaks and the way she stands and conducts herself. I think that’s an important value my grandparents have taught me which I try to uphold.