Sachiko Fukumoto, Japan @okinawajudy An Okinawan actress, filmmaker, surfer and freediver who is passionate about sharing women’s birthing stories, uncovering the links between ancestral traditions and nature, especially the ocean. By connecting with women from all sides of the Pacific, Sachiko hopes to inspire other women to dream of a version of birth that is instinctual to them, making birth an empowering moment in their lives.
“Collaboration“ has been key for our Pacific Mother film. We wove the stories together with these incredibly talented people.
Starring
Kimi Werner, Hawai’i @kimi_swimmy Sustainable fishing advocate, chef and US Spearfishing champion, Kimi had hoped and planned on a homebirth, however her intuition made her realize she needed medical care. Her private midwife gave her the knowledge and support she needed to negotiate the hospital system.
Rava Ray, Tahiti @ravarayAn artist and freediver, Rava wanted to give birth in the lagoon outside her home in Tahiti. Unable to find a local midwife who would do a home birth, she traveled to Hawai’i to find a midwife who would support her dream. She continues to share her love of the ocean through her photography, Tifaifai artwork and jewellery.
Ioana Turia, Cook Islands @ana_fficial Filmmaker and freediver, Ioana originally planned to give birth with midwives in New Zealand but instead, due to Covid-19, found herself in hospital in Rarotonga. She is passionate about sharing lost traditions with other women, to help support their instinctual birthing decisions.
The Pacific Mother theme song, "Mai Anamua” (From the Past), was composed by Olivia Foa'i
Olivia is best known as a member of the internationally acclaimed band Te Vaka, and for her vocals featured throughout Disney's Moana soundtrack. In 2019 she debuted as a solo artist with Candid, which earned her 'Best Pacific Album' at the Aotearoa Music Awards and 'Best Female Artist' at the Pacific Music Awards 2020. For Pacific Mother she has composed the song ‘Mai Anamua’ which translates to ‘From the Past’. The song’s lyrics speak to the theme of the documentary, urging us to listen to the past in order to move into the future.
Our Director & Producers
Katherine McRae, Director/Writer Katherine’s first documentary Water Baby, is Loading Docs’ most viewed film with over 8 million online views. This inspired her further collaboration with Migiwa Ozawa and Sachiko Fukumoto on the feature documentary Pacific Mother. However her background is in drama and she has directed many of New Zealand’s celebrated drama series including Go Girls and Nothing Trivial. Her short film Abandon Ship screened at festivals worldwide including Toronto’s TIFF Kids Film Festival.
Migiwa Ozawa, Lead Producer Founder of New Zealand production company TŪTŪ and producer of Loading Docs’ Water Baby. Migiwa has worked on the feature film The Last Samurai and the television show Xena: Warrior Princess. As well as producing documentaries, television and developing feature projects, she is best known for producing scores of Japanese commercials here in New Zealand and as a tireless ambassador for the industry. Migiwa has represented New Zealand at many international trade events.
Alex Reed, Executive Producer Alex is the owner and key creative producer at Bloom Pictures, working across both film and television in New Zealand on both drama and factual projects. Her projects include feature documentary Mister Organ 2022, prime time television series Unbreakable (2022), genre-bending feature There's no "I" in Threesome (2021), and feature documentary/drama hybrid The Girl on the Bridge (2021)
Shin Yamaguchi, ProducerTokyo-based, award-winning producer, Shin, produced 37 Seconds, winner of the Panorama Audience and CICAE Art Cinema Awards at the 2019 Berlin International Film Festival. He's currently developing films with directors Koji Fukada (Harmonium - winner of Festival de Cannes Un Certain Regard, Hotori no Sakuko, A Girl Missing) and Hikari (37 Seconds, HBO’s Tokyo Vice, and Netflix’s Beef).
Karin Williams, Consultant Producer Karin began her career as a reporter at the Cook Islands News in Rarotonga, before going on to work for broadcast networks in New Zealand and the USA, including NBC and PBS. She founded Multinesia Productions in 2004 to support and promote global indigenous storytelling. Since returning to Aotearoa in 2012, Karin has served as Development Executive at the NZ Film Commission and works with Pasifika storytellers to bring authentic projects to stage and screen.
Key Crew:
Lala Rolls, Editor
Fijian-born director and editor Lala Rolls has made short films, music videos and documentaries (Tupaia's Endeavour, Children of the Migration). Much of her work explores Polynesian and Māori culture. Rolls has gone on location throughout the Pacific Islands and her films have been invited to festivals in New Zealand and overseas. Tupaia's Endeavour won the International Jury prize at Tahiti's International Film Festival, FIFO, in 2016.
Plan 9, original score www.plan9.co.nz
Since 1995, Plan 9 has created scores for over 30 feature films. They've composed music for 8 international co-pro television series, numerous documentaries, programmes and short films, plus music for dance and theatre as well as installations and exhibition spaces around the world. To create the score for Pacific Mother, Plan 9 collaborated with musicians from Okinawa Japan, Cook Islands, Tahiti and Aotearoa New Zealand.
POW Studios Ltd, Post Production www.powstudios.co.nz
POW Studios is an award-winning Post Production facility producing world-class screen content. Founded by leading industry professionals, POW Studios has found success by partnering with international film clients on large projects while remaining in staunch support of the local screen industry, putting their expertise behind emerging local talent.
Amellia Kapa, Māori Consultant and Midwifery Consultant
Keiko Doering, Japanese Midwifery Consultant
Karin Williams, Pasifika Consultant
Cinematographers Included:
Justin Turkowski, Kristle Backe, Alex Bocchieri - Hawai’i
Tim McKenna, Kelsey Williamson - Tahiti
Johnny Beasley, Marino Evans - Cooks Islands
Elise Lanigan, Jess Charlton, Jake Mokomoko, Grant Mayer, Kane Grundy - Aotearoa, New Zealand
Kazunori Nagatani, Tatsunori Sunagawa - Japan
Jonathan Sunnex, Peter Zuccarini, William Trubridge - The Bahamas
