Local filmmaker harbours big dreams

E.T.V. Production has completed the filming of the latest episode of the popular film series, Silamanino. Filmed at the Little Sisters of the Poor at Mapuifagalele, Part 5 is scheduled to be released on the week of Easter in April. Owner of E.T.V. and Film Producer, Toepo Eliza Tiava’asu’e-Hunt, spoke with Editor, Mata’afa Keni Lesa, about the upcoming episode and how the series has grown over the years:

Sunday Samoan: Thanks for taking time to speak to us today, Toepo. One of the successes of this film is that the stars are entirely local, can you tell us who they are?

Toepo: Yes the stars are Verona Parker as Silamanino, Fogavai Ki as Enoka, Te’o Eteuati Magele Sagala as Ki’alagimua, Ioapo Ioapo as Silitu’uofe, Lagi as Galusina, Mailo Ben Vai as Kaumalo, Fuatele Va’aelua as Moana, Jojo Lafaele as Sammy, Maulolo Leaula Tavita as Kuamanaia, Raea Filisi as Sila and Matano Leuma as Meki. We’ve also got some new characters for part five but we’d rather not talk about them for now.

Sunday Samoan: Your audience is a mixed group. They range from the young to the old. What are some of the messages being promoted by Silamanino?

Toepo: A lot. And each episode we tend to focus on one or two messages, we try to be as realistic as possible to our current surrounding and the current issues we face now.

However, throughout each episode we have Silamanino to really bring out the values of mothers, their roles in families and our village community as a society. As a writer, I tend to portray the positive sides rather than the negative, hoping the message is clear i.e. “A good family is good motherhood.”

In Episode 1, we highlighted issues such as the importance of mothers, respecting our matua (parents) and matua tausi, the value of knowing where we come from and having role models. We also highlighted the importance of beauty outside and inside: Faaaloalo, tausaafia, agamalu, loto maulalo etc.

In episode 2, we looked at family values, the protection within our matai system for our religious beliefs as well as educating people about how our matai policies work in governing the villages.

Episode 3 sees Silamanino enhancing the Environmental issues to village primary school when she talks about conservation of water, planting trees along the shoreline, river banks etc to protect erosion. I believe that all citizens of Samoa should do this.

Silamanino also focuses on several development and health issues in her village to self sustain the community: e.g. vegetable and flower gardens project, sewing workshop and exercising – all for good health and earning money for them. In episode 4, we looked at gender balance and a lot more can be expected in

Episode 5. Sunday Samoan: Speaking of episode 5, Toepo, can you tell us what the audiences can expect? Toepo: Expect a lot of tears, laughs and plenty of finger pointing. I think there is reason to be excited about Enoka’s journey as well as Silamanino’s next challenge.

There is also the issue of the truth about Sili’s parents. There is Kaumalo and Moana’s unfinished wedding and what’s next for their relationship.

So there are a lot of stories within the story that the audience can look forward to. Sunday Samoan: How has the film developed since the first part?

Toepo: This film really captured the attention of the audience. With their feedback, it gives me the strength and our team great encouragement to enhance the project at every level. As a writer, I try my best to have a good balance. And it’s so challenging for me to write the script in its details. When I have the skeleton done, it looks so easy, but when I try to put words to detail the skeleton, boy I have to be in another world with my head and imagination. I really have to be in the shoes of the character to find the right words.

And if I was not born and brought up in a kua village when I was young and if my aganu’u and fa’asamoa was not that good, I assure you, I would not be able to write the scripts in the way I do with balance I need for the script as well. It was always my intention too to promote the music industry with the film – so we have art, music, poetry, all sorts of creative stuff in a form of a realistic story born and felt in Samoa.

The audience can’t have enough of the film now, especially with the story development now. We release a new part, and straight away the following week, we’ll be having phone calls asking when the next part coming out. It’s crazy...but a great feeling how people are attached to Silamanino now.

Sunday Samoan: The danger with all things is that you now have to keep coming up with new ways to keep the film fresh and interesting. How hard is it to keep such a series going in Samoa?

Toepo: Oh it’s really hard. It’s a new industry. We are not well-educated with this kind of industry in front of the camera and behind the camera. So I’m taking everything one at the time.

The cast and crew, all have their own agenda/work commitments, problems, you name them....and then you have to work yourself around each one of them to achieve the end result.

People don’t realise how much stress we go through behind the scenes to organise everyone, props, set arrangements, location permission, extras organised etc.....its extremely difficult and very, very stressful.

Sometimes the actors walk on the set and are ready to go, having no idea how much energy it takes to have everything ready. So everything is equally important.

The Cast to do their homework i.e. learn their lines and if possible research their characters; the production crew to be on alert at all times; me the director to have a super mental capacity to handle all sorts of situations, problem solving skills, constant intake on panadols, a bag full of patience and sometimes a pina choloda will help.

I have so many people wanting to be part of Silamanino at the acting side – so its not hard for us to convince anyone to be part of this project now.

Sunday Samoan: How many more episodes of Silamanino left?

Toepo: It was advertised and planned to have only five episodes. However, the story of Silamanino just wins peoples hearts.

And as a creative writer, I decided – well if there’s an audience why should I stop? So I have decided to continue to take my audience for a ride a little while longer with Silamanino’s journey.

For me, I have great satisfaction when I know there are people out there wanting more... so I need to give them satisfaction too...but always with a message for the benefit of our developing lives. So we will keep going, and we stop when its time.

Sunday Samoan: For Filmmakers like yourself, do you think there is potential for the industry to grow?

Toepo: To achieve a film, it’s a well-known fact that it costs a lot of money...right down to the marketing side. It’s a multimillion dollar industry.

So to achieve a professional film, we have to be at the professional standard in terms of quality, also to be able to qualify to international film festivals. As a Filmmaker, there is no way a filmmaker in Samoa can develop on their own without the help either from Government or from a source overseas or a donor.

To bring the professionals from overseas to shoot our script here, and to compile and have it at international standard. We can’t achieve it by ourselves. Peter Jackson took so many years to develop the film industry in New Zealand, without the help from the government and NZ On Air, it wouldn’t be possible.

They even changed legislation to suit and be in line to help such an industry. And it’s making New Zealand so well known for Peter Jackson’s creativity and bringing so much to the benefit of New Zealand.

How we achieve the Silamanino Project is all we can afford, a production targeting a niche market – for our own people at an affordable standard. I assure you, there is so much more room to improve in everything.

But I’m very happy with what we have achieved so far from the cast and crew with limited knowledge and experience and resources we have in hand.

Sunday Samoan: Is there anything more you would like to add?

Toepo: There is so much deep down in our Pacific Island Nations that we need to realise and offer to the rest of the troubled world. Our Culture, family values, matai policing system, how much gold we have in our cocoa beans, fetau seeds, nonu fruits, the healing power in our trees and soil, the power we have in our pure faith in God etc...

If we look around the world, the big nations are having so many problems. People are hungry to find peace and unity. Wouldn’t it be time to tell our story, of how we can find peace and unity as a family unit with our family values under a coconut tree?

My dream is to have the Silamanino filmed and produced at International Standard and be available to the International Market for the World to see.

Verona Parker is very natural and very experienced, also very good in both languages.

I’m confident she has the capacity to go international as an actress. She has all the right attributes. I would like to see her on the big screen, but we need that open door...and lots of prayers.