Vai

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Vai

2019

1h 30m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

100%

Tomatometer

11 Reviews

100%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

A woman embarks on a journey of empowerment.

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Dennis Harvey

Variety

05/30/2019

Most portmanteau features are potluck. But "Vai" has a lovely consistency of style and content that heightens the accessibility of its unique value as a combined effort among eight native female directors from eight different Pacific Island cultures.

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Monica Castillo

RogerEbert.com

04/22/2019

It isn't just gorgeous, it feels spiritually poignant, a reaffirmation of cultural identity and a showcase of the strength of women's stories.

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CJ Sheu

The News Lens International

06/27/2020

Vai captures the multifaceted experience of being a Pasifika (Pacific Islander) woman while maintaining a dexterous continuity of style and mood.

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Jim Ross

TAKE ONE Magazine

02/17/2020

The film manages to communicate the essence of common experiences whilst retaining cultural specificity. That the collection achieves this with a visual vibrancy and tonal coherence makes it all the more remarkable.

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Alex Heeney

Seventh Row

01/13/2020

Taken together, the films paint a picture of the dominating influence of New Zealand and the importance of local culture and ritual, but also the increasing importance of education and the precarity of life on the land

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Kate Rodger

Newshub (NZ)

08/23/2019

4/5

I found Vai to be deeply emmersive...

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Par H

@Parhwy Mar 15

Vai (2019) is a 90-minute-long film I watched on SBS World Movies (Australia) in March 2026. Multiple film makers and multiple locations (Fiji, Tonga, Solomon Islands, Cook Islands, Samoa, Niue, and Aotearoa) with different characters. It’s a world I have never been to. Nor ever could I (I am male and Anglo-Australian). The stories crossed ages and emotions, from young to old and from joyous to stressed to angry to confident. My fav story was Tongan Vai and her humble journey with her brother to get water. Or Agnes Pele’s Vai. Rewatch? Yes. Recommend? Yes. 7/10.

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08/10/2022

Absolutely beautiful film. Lush and gorgeous cinematography, and the portmanteau form fits here wonderfully. It is a celebration of indigenous women and cultures. Each of the vignettes has its own fantastic story, cast, and cultural significance, yet are woven together to tell a universal story about women's power, vulnerability, and leadership.

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Becs Arahanga

Director

Amberley Jo Aumua

Director

Matasila Freshwater

Director

Dianna Fuemana

Director

Miria George

Director

Ofa Guttenbeil

Director

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Synopsis

A woman embarks on a journey of empowerment.

Director: Becs Arahanga, Amberley Jo Aumua, Matasila Freshwater, Dianna Fuemana, Miria George, Ofa Guttenbeil, Marina McCartney, Nicole Whippy, Sharon Whippy
Producer: Kiel McNaughton, Kerry Warkia
Screenwriter: Becs Arahanga, Amberley Jo Aumua, Matasila Freshwater, Dianna Fuemana, Miria George, Ofa Guttenbeil, Marina McCartney, Nicole Whippy, Sharon Whippy
Distributor: Vendetta Films
Production Co: Department of Post, Brown Sugar Apple Grunt Productions
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 27, 2019
Runtime: 1h 30m

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