Kahu Kaiha directed a short film, in which he also acts, presented at the FIFO, Find where I belong tells the story of two homeless people on the streets of New Zealand and the dream of one of them to return home to the Marquesas Islands.
How did you get into directing?
By accident! In 2018, I left Polynesia to train as an actor and I’ve been acting for four years in New Zealand where I’m represented by an agent. Last year, I noticed a lack of roles for Polynesians, especially those from French Polynesia, and I thought I would go into directing because I have a knack for writing and a lot of experience. So I wrote a script, found a producer and directed it.
Where does the story of this short film come from?
I have always had a desire to express and play characters from minorities. For my personal story, and that of my parents who were homeless when they arrived in Tahiti, I wanted to start my career with an idea that was close to my heart. That’s how I started my research for a feature film and then chose to start with a short film to see if people liked the story and if the concept worked.
Will this short film become a longer one?
I think… If I’m still young enough to play it and if I find producers who want to finance it.
What was the message of the film?
I wanted to talk about the quest for identity and the quest for one’s home. I am one of the young people who left French Polynesia to find a life for themselves and who made the sacrifice of leaving their island and leaving their « home » behind. What I’ve noticed while being abroad is that Polynesians want to recapture their « home ». The only way to do that is to hang out with people who are from your island. This theme came up because a lot of my family members went away to the army, they return once in a while, sometimes in a coffin. This quest for self… Is it really worth it to leave your island to fulfil the dreams of others?
For you personally, was it worth the cost?
It was worth the cost of leaving my island to get another perspective of my island and of French Polynesia. It was important for me to leave to be able to answer that question, « What is my goal? » I didn’t leave for the sake of leaving, but to learn and return to French Polynesia to work and immerse myself in the problems of our society.
Do you plan to return to French Polynesia soon?
I won’t return to live there but I will return to tell our story to the world. I will come back here to work and I’m going to provide work for the people back home. It has already started! I have many big projects in mind. There will be several works: long documentaries, fiction.
This short film is also the story of collaboration with a collective and in particular Nikki Si’ulepa?
Nikki is part of the New Zealand collective PISA (Pacific Islanders Screen Artists) which brings together people who direct, act… My friend, Carrisse Uta’i, producer of the short film and myself are also part of this collective, she mentored us, she guided us for the direction and the production. She is a well known director in New Zealand, it wouldn’t have been possible to make this short film without the collective that promotes the learning of this art to indigenous youth and that’s what helped us find our way in this career.
Are you proud to see this short film at the FIFO?
I am proud because this short film was first of all for French Polynesia. I am proud of the excitement around the film.
Let the islanders tell their stories
Nikki Si’ulepa, a Samoan, who is part of the PISA (Pacific Islanders Screen Artists) collective, was the « spiritual adviser » as she likes to say on this short film. For Kahu Kaiha, the director and Carrisse Uta’i, the producer, this short film was a first, without the collective, they would not have been able to make it. I met them two years ago, » says Nikki Si’ulepa. They have a lot of energy, a real ambition to tell their own story in their own way. I asked them to join the collective, which they did immediately, and they were able to attend training workshops. They gave me a hard time! But I couldn’t say no to them. It’s a source of pride to see this short film presented at the FIFO. They did a great job. » Carrisse Uta’i, a Samoan, admits that production was not her dream but she was chosen. « I’m proud to have collaborated with someone from the Marquesas. For me, it’s important that we produce content and retain the power to talk about our stories. » Nikki Si’ulepa nods in agreement and adds, « A lot of films have been made about us but they do not have the same perspectives as ours. »
Lucie Rabréaud – FIFO
French