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Hero image for Pictorial Parade No. 120 - Samoan Family

Pictorial Parade No. 120 - Samoan Family

Short Film (Full Length) – 1961

This 1961 Pictorial Parade visits Western Samoa shortly before it gains independence from Aotearoa. Locals are seen voting in the May referendum, where a huge majority voted for self-rule. Surgeon Ioane Okesene and his large family feature in this newsreel; daughter Karaponi is seen marrying her Kiwi partner Bill McGrath in Apia. (Trivia fact: Rugby legend Michael Jones' mother, Maina Jones, is among the wedding guests.) Western Samoa's close ties to Aotearoa are highlighted, with stories of Samoans moving downunder to study, such as home science student Margaret Stehlin. 

Today, as in the past, life in Samoa is based on the home and family. Samoans still grow up with a healthy respect for the traditional way of living and a lively awareness of their rich heritage of custom and ceremony.
– Narrator