Ready to live the FIFO experience?
On the occasion of the 22nd edition of the Oceanian International Documentary Film Festival (FIFO), the branches of Polynesia The 1st go into festival mode!
From February 3 to 7immerse yourself in the world of FIFO with a special program that highlights notable documentaries from previous editions.
Discover powerful stories that resonate, portraits of unique lives, and vibrant testimonies that resonate across Oceania and beyond. These documentaries are invitations to better understand people and their cultures, to explore their struggles, their dreams and their traditions.
Don’t miss the special “Docs du FIFO” evenings on Polynesia The 1st and experience, from home, all the richness of this emblematic festival.
Monday February 3 at 7:25 p.m.
► Circle of Silence
(1is Special Jury Prize 2024)
Closed case or political scandal, Circle of Silence is above all a human drama, that of Shirley Shackleton. Inspired by his book of the same name, the film uncovers new evidence concerning the murder of five Australian journalists. Circle of Silence lifts the veil on one of the darkest chapters in the history of Australia and East Timor. The documentary follows Shirley in her tireless quest to uncover the truth behind the massacre, an unsolved war crime that continues to haunt Australian history. When the Australian Federal Police abandoned their investigation citing a lack of evidence, Shirley refused this conclusion. This documentary highlights its efforts to unearth new evidence, while exploring the wider implications of Australia’s actions in East Timor, a territory ravaged by one of the worst genocides in history.
84 min • Realization Luigi Acquisto et Lourdes Pires • Production Stella Zammataro, Luigi Acquisto, FairTrade Films et Dili Film Works • Australia/Timor-Leste • 2023
Tuesday February 4 at 7:25 p.m.
► Tribal Sisters
In the heart of the Kup Valley in Papua New Guinea, Tribal Sisters traces the astonishing story of three women who created the Kup Women for Peace movement to end tribal violence. Angela Apa, Mary Kini and Agnes Sil share how they led women and men from different tribes to unite for their right to security. With never-before-seen archival footage spanning more than 20 years, the film shows a vision of the peace strategies offered by women in the Pacific.
50 min • Realization Verena Thomas et Jackie Kaula • Production Jackie Kaula, Verena Thomas, Yumi Sanap Strong et Yumi Piksa • Papua New Guinea • 2023
- Wednesday February 5 at 7:25 p.m.
► Kaugere : A Place Where Nobody Enters
(Grand Prize of the FIFO jury – France Télévisions)
Kaugere neighborhood in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. Albert Muri is a rugby coach and knows a lot about crime, raskolthe gangs that tore his family apart. His eldest son: killed by the police. His younger brother: imprisoned. Dia, the youngest, is his last hope. He helps her coach the local rugby team, transforming criminal minds into sporting heroes. When Desmond, the youngest, is finally released on parole, a question arises: what future can a slum, where everyone lacks everything, offer them?
60 min • Realization Stephen Dupont • Production Elizabeth Tadic, Stephen Dupont et A Bordertown Studio • Australia/Papua New Guinea • 2023
Wednesday February 5 at 8:25 p.m.
► WAR the last crossing
(2e Special Jury Prize 2024)
Engineer, hero of the Second World War, famous navigator and writer, William Albert Robinson worked tirelessly to eradicate filariasis – an endemic tropical disease transmitted by mosquitoes – in French Polynesia. This documentary looks back on the life of one of the last explorers of the 20th centurye century. Between fiction and archive images provided by the family, this film reveals the intimate truth of an extraordinary, elusive, complex and fascinating man.
52 min • Realization Paul Manatee et Denis Pinson • Production Catherine Marconnet, Archipel Production, Nona Robinson et Vistascope • French Polynesia • 2023
Thursday February 6 at 7:25 p.m.
► The Giants
The film explores the linked destinies of trees and humans through the gripping portrait of Bob Brown, former Tasmanian Greens senator and gay icon in Australia, who campaigned fiercely for the environment to be at the center of Australian politics. The film interweaves Bob’s story and the life of the great trees he fights for, revealing the hidden life of the forest through a unique and inspiring ecological vision.
113 min • Realization Laurence Billiet & Rachel Anthony • Production General Strike, Matchbox Pictures • Australia • 2023
Friday February 7 at 7:25 p.m.
► Kindred
The documentary offers a deep and touching look at the rediscovery of Aboriginal roots by individuals adopted into white families. Unlike classic documentaries about the Stolen Generation, Kindred highlights the intimate journeys of two childhood friends, directors of the film, who reclaim their story as adults by finding their biological family.
91 min • Realization Adrian Russell Wills et Gillian Moody • Production Tom Zubrycki et Gillian Moody • Australia • 2023
