Page 41 - IB April 2021

SPBD

LOIMATA film

wins

Grand Prix

at FIFO Sweetest Tears.
Loimata, The

Documentary LOIMATA, The Sweetest Tears, has just tion of films in competition. This award is a tribute to the
won the Grand Prix du Jury at Tahiti’s prestige FIFO, (Fes- protagonist of the film Lilo Ema Siope and her dedication in
tival International du Film Documentaire Océanien). Pro- forging a healing pathway for her extraordinary family - a
duced and written by AUT Senior Lecturer (Communica- pathway deeply rooted in her culture, history and philoso-
tion Studies) Jim Marbrook and his sister Anna Marbrook phy. Tahiti is hugely significant in voyaging kaupapa so to
(who directed the film), it debuted at Whānau Mārama: New win an award there dignifies both our film and Ema’s legacy
Zealand International Film Festival 2020, where it received as a voyaging captain and waka builder.”
outstanding reviews and box office sell-outs. The documen-
Producer Jim Marbrook says, “This is another vital step-
tary also made the stuff.co.nz top ten films of 2020 list. AUT
ping stone that helps us take our film out into the world and
students formed part of the crew for some of the Auckland
also deeper into the Pacific region. We set out to make a
portions of the shoot.
documentary that was both cinematic and intimate and the
At the prizegiving ceremony Jury member Julia Overton, reactions to the screenings and this prize have vindicated our
a leading figure in Australian film and television, described creative choices. It was a complex movie to produce because
Loimata as “a film that was really well directed... on an im- the material was so sensitive.”
portant subject: childhood trauma.” She added: “Our con-
gratulations to the whole team who presented this family’s
story with so much compassion.” Jury member Doc Edge
director Alex Lee says, “The film’s narrative is superbly
told, giving us a personal connection with the subject, Ema.
We are taken into her world where she confronts issues of
culture, family, the tradition of wayfaring, sexual abuse,
identity, life and death. While her mortality is urgent and
pressing, the film enables us to pause and reflect as Ema
navigates these issue. This is an excellent example of skilled
filmmaking and a feature-length theatrical Pasifika docu-
mentary which the world needs to view, indicative of the
treasure trove of content of our region rarely seen and fund-
ed internationally.”

Director/producer Anna Marbrook says, “We are so
In action, filming Loimata: Producer Jim Markbrook. Jim is a Senior Lecturer at AUT’s
thrilled and honoured to be amongst such an amazing selec- School of Communication Studies.

Islands Business, April 2021 41