Synopsis
July 1975. Monica Flaherty, daughter of Robert and Francis Flaherty, cinéma vérité pioneer Richard Leacock and Sarah Hudson – Ricky’s student at MIT –travel to Samoa, to the island of Savai ́i. Monica’s aim is to create ”an authentic” sound version of the silent feature film Moana (1926), directed by her parents in her childhood paradise. Being alien to Samoan culture, Monica, Sarah and Ricky are soon pulled in a complex dynamics of gifts, exchange and honoring.
DocPoint Yle Award for Best Finnish Documentary Film in 2023
International Film Festival Rotterdam, January 2023
Göteborg Film Festival, February 2023
Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival, March 2023
Centre Pompidou, Paris, May 2023
Midnight Sun Film Festival, Finland, June 2023
Il Cinema Ritrovato, Bologna, June 2023
DocLisboa, October 2023
