u/DisastrousProject329

Kia Orana fam.

My name is Teremoana, I'm a Cook Islander who lives in Wellington with most of my family from Mitiaro. Mitiaro is one of the smallest inhabited islands in the Cook Islands. I spent time there in August 2025 to help my grandfather as he is getting older; and took the opportunity to film a movie. Filming the people, the land, and the daily life of the community. The film follows the island across generations, from the children to the elders, and asks what it means to live in a place that most of the world has never heard of. It is not a tourist film. It is a portrait of home. For all pasifika, and I want to hear from more of our people before I finish it.

I'm reaching out to Cook Islanders anywhere. Whether you grew up on the islands, were born in New Zealand, have family on the outer islands, or just feel that pull toward home. I want to know how you feel about where we are as a people right now. What you miss. What you're proud of. What worries you. What you want people outside our community to understand about us.

Mitiaro's population has dropped significantly over the past few decades. I'm being careful about how I handle that in the film because I don't want it to feel like a story about a dying place. The archival footage I was gifted tells its own story and I'll let it do that as it shows a massive contrast from 1995 to 2025 in terms of population.

This film isn't about loss or anything, rather it's more about the people who are still there, how they feel about life etc etc. I want it to feel true to you guys, and me as well, not just the people viewing it and going "wow look at these guys" if that makes sense.

This isn't an interview or anything like that, just wanna have a convo with some more kuki peeps to get a better understanding of what worries you guys about the cooks, whether its people leaving or other things.

Drop a comment or send me a message.

Teremoana.

Hey Wellington!

I'm a 2nd year film student at Vic currently in pre-production on my first (personal) feature film. It's a psychological horror and I've been trying to secure Wrights Hill Fortress as our primary interior location. I sent them an email and got a very kind response from them; although their quota for feature filming is already full.

I followed up asking if a single day would make a difference and offered to compensate a supervisor for their time but I'm still waiting to hear back so I thought I'd make a post here, why not.

It is a long shot in the dark but does anyone know someone who works there or has any connection to the site? In my experience its infinitely easier having someone on the inside who can advocate; especially being that it is a film student cold emailing from outside of the society.

(I realize University students don't exactly have the best reputation so I understand the concern lol)

Also open to any suggestions for alternative locations in Wellington or the wider region. Specifically looking for something with long dark corridors, and an "enclosed/isolationast feeling), think of films like The Thing (1982) or The Shining (1980) or tunnels etc. Underground or bunker style is ideal but open to anything that has that kind of atmosphere.

Also, just emailed screen wellington in the hopes they can point me in the right direction :)

Just need an atmosphere that feels similar, that isn't graffiti bombed like the other forts.

I understand if this is an impossible ask; but I thought I'd atleast try before being shot down.

Thanks, N.T.