Va Tapuia - Sacred Spaces

Taro planter Lui’s grief for his dead wife is blighting his life and crops. A widow, Malia, is bound by anger to the grave of her abusive husband, as the rising sea slowly drowns it. When Lui and Malia meet by chance, he’s provided with a path from his hurt. Filmed in Samoan on the island of Upolu, and directed by Samoan-born Tusi Tamasese, the short is a fable-like meditation on communion, cooking and sacred places. It was selected for the Clermont-Ferrand and Hawaii film festivals, and was the precursor to Tamasese’s Venice-selected debut feature, The Orator.

Growing up in Samoa, I was fascinated by the bond between our deceased relatives usually buried in our front yards.

– Tusi Tamasese

Key Cast & Crew

Pouoa Malae Lialia'i

As: Lui

Tusi Tamasese

Director, Writer

Catherine Fitzgerald

Producer

Lena Rivers

As: Malia

Peter Tamasese

Art Director

Nathaniel Lees

Associate Producer