Made in Taiwan

In this documentary 'Naked Samoan' Oscar Kightley, and Māori radio/TV personality Nathan Rarere use DNA technology to trace their families' ancestry. They discover that their forebears originated in Taiwan before migrating to the Pacific via Vanuatu (and the Cook Islands, for those going on to Aotearoa). On the DNA trail they meet locals and find striking cultural similarities — even in Taiwan, where the indigenous people look Polynesian, and provide a haka-like welcome. The film won top honours at the International Oceania Documentary Film Festival in Tahiti.

When I was little and I used to read books about genies giving three wishes, I think the first wish was always like heaps of money. The second wish was nothing bad to happen to my family and the third wish always just to see where Polynesians came from.

– Oscar Kightley

Key Cast & Crew

Oscar Kightley

Presenter

Ben Freedman

Camera

Nathan Rarere

Presenter

George Andrews

Producer

Rewa Harre

Camera

Dan Salmon

Director