Tino, the eldest child of a Samoan immigrant family, has the job of looking after his siblings while his parents struggle with their new lives and work in New Zealand.
O Tamaiti is told from 11-year-old Tino's point of view as he struggles to live up to the responsibility expected of him. The parents are heard, but not seen, in this insightful and visually rich portrait of Samoan family life.
It's tough stuff and very moving as we watch Tino trying to keep "the children" together. It makes the absence of the extended family back home even more poignant as the little boy struggles to support the family.
Ironically, when the youngest baby dies of cot death, the adults, who have expected Tino to be the "parent" to their younger children, don't acknowledge his pain and his need to be able to grieve for the death of the baby he feels responsible for.
Sima Urale, herself a Samoan immigrant, made this, her debut film, with a strength of vision one might expect from a far more experienced filmmaker. In particular the cinematography and disjunctive sound design augment her commitment to conveying the child's-eye POV. It won Best Short Film awards at film festivals around the globe, including the Silver Lion at Venice, and sold overseas.
O Tamaiti came out two years after Once Were Warriors, both films featuring marginalised social groups as their subject matter. The underlying violence and clashes of anger that infuse these two films are strong indictments of wrongs needing social attention. O Tamaiti's unique standpoint is that it views the displacement through a child's eyes.
Strong stories like O Tamaiti, told with with power and emotion, give voice to the immigrant experience. We are lucky to have such a talent as Sima in this country.
Kara Paewai produced O Tamaiti, her first film credit. Cinematographer Rewa Harre has continued to work with Sima on all her dramatic films.
Inspired by my own experience as a child growing up surrounded by relatives struggling with Samoan and Western cultures, O Tamaiti, is about the unconditional bond among children in Pacific Island families.
The story is seen through the eyes of the children. From their perspective, we experience the deepest fears and anxieties, of children who are seen but not heard. Their impressions are of an adult world, where cars zoom dangerously by, Father booms with an almighty voice, and the parents' lovemaking becomes a demented nightmare for the eldest boy, Tino.
In Samoan society, children often assume adult roles of ‘caregiver' or ‘mother and father' to younger brothers and sisters. The core of this film is about a young Samoan boy, and the effects of the burdens and responsibilities he must carry as the eldest in the family.
The narrative places the film in the ‘drama/tragedy' genre. It begins with the birth of a baby and moves through to its tragic cot death. The overall stylistic approach to the film also includes surreal elements.
I hope that the way that the characters, visuals and sound are treated will be a refreshing new approach to Polynesian content in film.
My intention in shooting O Tamaiti in black and white was to shed the stereotypical image of Pacific Islanders as a kitsch culture with colourful paraphernalia that is too often depicted in contemporary films.
Finalist - Most
Outstanding Website
The ONYAs 2010
Best Entertainment Website
Finalist – Website design
Qantas Media Awards 2009
NZ ON SCREEN 2010
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