No. 2

This was one of the most feel good movies I've watched in a long time. I wanted to go straight home after I saw it and give all my family big hugs eh. Great story :) Plus it had Rene Naufahu in it who I love - I wish he was starring in more movies. Set in Mount Roskill, in Auckland, you see another side to life in the big city. Such a real portrayal of family life. I thought all the young actors in the movie did a great job - definitely some up and coming talent amongst them. This movie is definitely one to take your Mum or Dad, Nana or Grandpa, Brother or Sister to and be prepared to get emotional. The storyline itself sounds at first like it is going to be a bit bland, but believe me, you'll never be more moved.

I went to school in Mt. Roskill, where the film is set; I drive through the suburb everyday to and from work; and my mother is from Polynesia. On several levels I could relate to this film and was proud to see Auckland, and it's Polynesian culture, represented in such an accurate and endearing way.

No. 2 centers around Nana Maria (a great performance by Ruby Dee), who wants her grandchildren to organize a feast for her at which she will name her heir, who will take over the house when she dies. Tense relationships both amongst and between generations are slowly and subtly introduced, and over the course of the day the family struggles to negotiate their Fijian culture within the New Zealand context.

The acting was superb (although notably, I think a minority of the actors were actually Fijian), the story subtle but beautiful, and Auckland was represented very accurately and stunningly. A feel-good film that makes you want to get in contact with your long lost cousins and reminisce about days gone by.

Great characters, great acting, and an enjoyable film.

I've seen recent reviews of lacking a firm storyline - however I beg to differ. I really liked this film because it was so simplistic to understand, but yet portraying strong themes of a foreign/traditional family living in New Zealand. Additionally, the family as depicted in the film can be seen as being dysfunctional, this factor can reinforce our understanding of the film if one has been exposed to such kind of a family. Anyhow, I must praise the performances of the actors/actresses and in particular Ruby Dee - for instance, when I first viewed the film I though the Dee was a Fijian actress! It came to great shock when I discovered that she was in fact American! In conclusion, I would like to say that I very much enjoyed this little film, it is funny, touching and passionate. If anyone has the chance to watch this film, then DO IT! It isn't to be missed! Out

I had the opportunity to view this film at the Sundance Film Festival. It is a touching story of family ties, those that have been broken and attempts to bind them together again. This movie handles family conflict in an honest and realistic manner. Beyond the family struggles lies the tension of modern ways clashing with the strong cultural traditions of the South Pacific islanders. The film looks at how an indigenous group of people debate the mores of their ancestors. We are reminded that what binds us together is more than just rituals and customs. This film has a solid foundation in its direction. It reflects the quality of film making we are becoming accustomed to from New Zealand ala Whale Rider. The acting is from the heart, you will believe this ensemble is actually a family. It is beautifully shot and takes advantage of the characters' energy and emotion rather than relying on the natural beauty of the land. It is not to be missed.

This is a great film portraying human interaction and how families interact.

However, for a film that is supposed to portray a Fijian family, what a pity there was only one Fijian (the Priest) in the cast. The others were mainly a reasonably talented group of Maori and other South Pacific Island actors.

Why could the producers not have found Fijian actors to make the film more authentic?

That the film was produced more or less on our own doorstep (and we had not even heard of it before it was seen in "Shorts") and showed our own well-known and familiar locality added additional colour and interest to our viewing. But of course, a film is always "local" to those who live where it is filmed.