Filmmaker Statement

The choice to make a film about a Tahitian dancer was initially arbitrary but as I attempted to write the story, I began to learn about the body politic of a female dancer, Gauguin’s exotification of Tahiti and my own male gaze. These challenged me in ways I did not expect and in 2016, I decided to Tahiti to learn more. I didn’t know anyone there but they received me with the warmest embrace. I listened as dancers and dance chiefs told me what Ori Tahiti means to them. In 2019, I returned with my storyboards and collaborated with local artists for the dance choreography, the music and the soundscape. On both trips, I lived with an art teacher, Matahii. We’d spend days discussing the grips of Colonialism and what it means to be contemporary Tahitian. When he understood my intentions, he told me, “You must make this film. We don’t have a story like this about Tahiti yet.” The unconditional support that the Tahitian dance community has given me is the reason I made this film.