The main cast and crew of the Samoan movie, “One Thousand Ropes,” have returned to New Zealand after a very successful world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival where it showed at the prestigious PANORAMA section.
The film, written and directed by Samoan Tusi Tamasese received critical acclaim from two of the film industry’s top media outlets, Screen Daily and Hollywood Reporter.
Screen Daily said Tusi Tamasese transforms his film“into a brooding tale of fractured families and generational conflict that builds towards a reckoning with the past, delivering enough intrigue, craft and slow-burning command of mood and atmosphere to win festival circuit favour and enhance his international reputation.“
The review also praised the main actor in the role of Maea.
“Uelese Petaia plays him as a gentle, snowy-haired veteran who lives a peaceful, purposeful existence,” said Screen Daily.
Petaia says that Maea was a tough character to play.
“He is so many characters wrapped into one creating so many conflicting contrasts in his life.”
The producers are now working on the general release of the film on March 23 in Samoa and New Zealand.
A premiere is planned for Apia, March 16 and in Wellington and Auckland, New Zealand 21st and 22nd respectively.
Petaia added, “We’re also hoping for a premiere in American Samoa, but we are having problems contacting the management of the Nu’uuli cinemas.
