Rotuman filmmaker Vilsoni Hereniko has nabbed the Best Animation Short of the Year at the Indie Short Awards in Los Angeles.
Set in Rotuma, his animated short Sina ma Tinirau is a re-imagining of a timeless Pacific classic. Tinirau is a greedy Fijian prince cursed to the form of an eel, who vies for the love of a beautiful woman, Sina.
Repulsed by his dark skin, she initially refuses his love.
But as he dies he tells Sina to bury his head. As the story goes, a coconut tree will spring forth to provide her food and drink. Struck by his gift of unconditional love, she overcomes her prejudice and falls in love with the eel.
The film cleverly explores themes of conservation, cultural traditions and colourism in Pacific communities.
Hereniko was unable to make the award ceremony, but shared this story to Facebook, “eight women from Santa Rosa wanted to see a movie set on their home island of Rotuma.”
“They got in their cars and travelled to Los Angeles where the film was a finalist for “best animated short”. Guess what – the film they went to see won! The director could not be there so they ended up accepting the award on his behalf and will deliver it to him later in the year!”
Written, directed, produced and narrated by Hereniko, Sina ma Tinirau has also screened at imagineNATIVE and the Made in Hawaii FIlm Festival.
The short is set to make its FIFO Tahiti debut next month.
