It’s easy to look at a film made by a recent high school graduate, raised either looking down the barrel of a phone camera or haphazardly pointing it at others, and assume they simply don’t know any better. But it quickly becomes apparent that this is not the case at all. There are a lot of things in Telesia that you discover in sitting with her for just 20 minutes as she recounts her relationship with the Chinese language, Polynesian identity, social empowerment, and cross-cultural connection. She’s a polyglot, extremely intelligent and fiercely creative, a leader in her community, and above all, a kind soul.
Telesia 2 the World is directed and edited by Telesia Tanoa’i, a young Samoan New Zealand woman with an international view of the world. While at home, Telesia has become a leader in youth advocacy, cultural representation, and climate activism. Growing up, living and travelling abroad imbued Telesia with a natural curiosity and interest in the world, particularly through the lens of the Chinese language. The home-movie clips we open with see child Telesia showcase her natural jubilance and confidence as she explores with her parents.
Returning home and entering her teens, she begins to use her sense of humour and creativity to make videos for TikTok, while acknowledging the difficulty in maintaining language practice. Motivated by her Chinese language teacher at school, Telesia enters the Chinese Bridge Language Competition. The film comes alive as Telesia’s efforts see her travel to China to compete in each stage of the competition. The sights from her bus and the vlog posts she records are brightened by the array of rich colour in Chinese architecture and gardens, as well as Telesia’s beaming smile.
You’ll see Telesia speak about how nervous she is as she takes to the stage in front of an international audience. Not only does Telesia showcase her ability to converse and orate in Chinese; the combination of Telesia’s linguistic capabilities and musical talent make her an exciting competitor. Nothing about her presence on stage suggests the anxiety she internalises – Telesia projects coolness and confidence in front of a crowd. When she speaks directly to the audience in her ‘interview’ segments, you have the chance to see that warm and empathetic side of her on full display.
It’s because of this empathy that Telesia manages to overcome the challenges thrown her way. She carries the spirit of her culture and family with her, proudly wearing Maori-designed clothing and continuing to advocate for her home across international borders. The power of trans-linguistic communication is shown full force in a clip where Telesia introduces her competition roommate, Arwen from Malaysia. The two speak in Chinese, their friendship overcoming the language barriers that might usually challenge two people from across the world connecting with each other in such a powerful way. This theme runs throughout as Telesia celebrates the success of her competitors, people who she has come to regard as international friends through their shared love of Chinese language.
Now, Telesia has graduated, and her film has premiered. If this is any indication of her future, Telesia is sure to accomplish a lot. If you’re in doubt about the state of the world – international tension or the alarming increase of global temperatures – spare half an hour to see what our future leaders are already accomplishing as you follow Telesia on her journey to the world!
To book tickets to the Maoriland Mini Film Festival, which is running on 1st-2nd March, please visit https://www.bunjilplace.com.au/events/maoriland-film-festival.
This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.
