LOIMATA, The Sweetest Tears

Filmmaker Anna Marbrook (Waka Warriors) followed a Samoan/Kiwi family on a pilgrimage to Samoa, to confront a source of decades long pain. South Auckland-raised Lilo Ema Siope became a waka builder, and captained Hoturoa Barclay-Kerr's waka Haunui Waka Hourua and Aotearoa One. In the feature-length documentary, Marbrook captures humour and emotion during the final weeks of terminally ill Siope's life — as she channels her remaining energy into travelling with her family to her parents' birth place of Samoa, to find closure and healing. Loimata won Best Documentary at the 2021 NZ TV Awards.

Every Saturday from 7am to 10 am, so we just come and learn the kaupapa of Te Toki and why they do what they do, and we've embraced that kaupapa too. Learning how to do knots and putting up the sail, learning what it means and the importance of working together.

– Rebekah Rimoni, sister of Lilo Ema Siope, on learning about waka building as a family, Te Ao Māori News website, 27 October 2019

Key Cast & Crew

Jim Marbrook

Writer, Producer, Second Unit - Cinematographer

Tamasailau Suaalii-Sauni

Executive Producer

Malcolm Clarke

Editor

Gaylene Preston

Executive Producer

Matthew Suttor

Composer

Anna Marbrook

Director, Writer, Producer