A Boy Called Piano - The Story of Fa’amoana John Luafutu tells the remarkable story of Fa’amoana’s time as a state ward in the 1960s and the intergenerational impacts of these experiences. Directed by Nina Nawalowalo, produced by Katherine Wyeth, with Executive Producer Tom McCrory and starring Fa’amoana himself, his son Matthias and grandson’s Tāne and Micah, alongside Aaron McGregor, Tupe Lualua and Patrick Nawalowalo McCrory, with a stunning score by Mark Vanilau.  

Growing from the long-term collaboration with Fa’amoana Luafutu and the Luafutu Aiga, the film blends dramatised sequences inspired by the play A Boy Called Piano - written by Fa’amoana John Luafutu & Tom McCrory, alongside powerful interviews and beautiful aerial and underwater photography - translating Nina Nawalowalo’s celebrated visual storytelling to the screen for the first time. The Conch has been honoured to walk alongside Fa’amoana and the Luafutu Aiga as they courageously bring their untold story into the light, with the kaupapa of connecting directly with survivors - and illuminating the survivor experience in wider society. 

Matthias Luafutu will be in attendance for a Q & A after the screening.

Director: Nina Nawalowalo (Fijian)
Writer: Fa'amoana John Luafutu (Samoan)
Producers: Katherine Wyeth, Tom McCrory
Language: Samoan | English | English Subtitles
New Zealand | 2022 | 57 mins

PREVIEW SHORT FILM: 

Honour to Senator Murray Sinclair
Director: Alanis Obomsawin (Abenaki)

Canada | 2021 | 29 mins | English

As the Chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Senator Murray Sinclair was a key figure in raising global awareness of the atrocities of Canada’s residential school system. With determination, wisdom and kindness, Senator Sinclair remains steadfast in his belief that the path to actual reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people requires understanding and accepting often difficult truths about Canada’s past and present.

Alanis Obomsawin shares the powerful speech the Senator gave when he accepted the WFM-Canada World Peace Award, interspersing the heartbreaking testimonies of former students imprisoned at residential schools. The honouring of Senator Sinclair reminds us to honour the lives and legacies of the tens of thousands of Indigenous children taken from their homes and cultures, and leaves us with a profound feeling of hope for a better future.

NOTE: This film is available in the BIRRARANGGA Film Festival 3-pass and 5-pass ticket packages.