r/CookIslands

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.

I recently visited Rarotonga and loved it, no surprises.

There was a sign at my accommodation that described the dogs that can be seen all around not as strays but as 'wandering dogs', explaining that they have homes and owners but are allowed to roam around rather than being fenced up.

We only had good experiences of the dogs while we were there. We were approached on the beaches and while seated eating in outdoor areas by lovely friendly dogs who happily accepted our pats. Some looked very loved (well fed)! Particularly a couple of rotund ones at Tiare's! We laughed as we pondered what could be a better life than being a dog swimming in a beautiful lagoon as he pleases.

I won't claim to understand the nuances that may apply to living with dogs in this way, having only visited for a week, but I felt safer around dogs in Rarotonga than I would in many areas of NZ. It was one of the many good memories of our trip.