Tusi Tamasese Director of The Orator (O Le Tulufale)

How did the script of The Orator come about?

The film came from a fascination I have with death and how in Samoa we bury our beloved in front of our houses. To me that was a challenge – people are challenging death and saying you cannot part us, so I thought I had to write something about this. Also I was interested in the image of a chief - an orator - in Samoa: to me an orator is tall, fearless and well-spoken. I wanted to see what happens when you strip that away, and I ended up with a small person as a metaphor. So these were the bones of the script, and I just needed to involve the culture and themes that people could relate to.

How difficult was the casting process, especially for the main character Saili?

It had to be a small person: that was what made the story. In Samoa there are not many, there is only one actor who does commercials, who I originally thought of. I paid for his ticket to come, but the fellow didn’t turn up so we had to start looking again. We got a phone call from this woman who said her son was a dwarf. So we caught the ferry to the other island and he was in fact a 16-year-old boy! Then she said that there was a small person living down the road; we went over and there he was, the main character actor. I asked him why he didn’t answer the radio call and he said he hadn’t wanted to, but now that we were there he thought it must be a sign from God that he had to do it. He’s a very private person and we were fortunate to have him. I had to re-write the script, because he was shorter and had more difficulty walking than the original actor.

The relationship between Saili and Vaaiga comes across as a little ambiguous.

It was quite a challenge; I was very particular with the relationship. I wanted them not to touch, even in the massage scene there are the leaves blocking them. But I wanted to show the relationship, their love that exists in the space that they occupy. It’s all in the glances and the way that they talk. She mocks him, and to me that’s a sort of love.

There are many scenes which portray specific aspects of traditional Samoan culture. How much did you think about making the film accessible to people who know nothing about Samoa?

I wanted to people to be immersed in the movie. I knew that if you have the patience to sit and watch this very slow world, then you will understand it. I wanted people to be exposed to things, and question them, and eventually I give them hints, but I didn’t want to explain too much. I knew it was a very fine line. The performances are so subtle that it was very risky as well, so I am asking quite a lot from the audience.

Are some of the old traditions disappearing now?

The chiefly oratory is one example. The younger generation is beginning to untie its bond from the culture and is becoming more urban. When I grew up English was a class thing, but now they are all speaking it. The oratory language is filled with history and metaphors. You have to have a good knowledge of proverbs… It’s like poetry, the words mean a lot. Everyday language is different; you would only use the oratory language with an older person.

By Jude Lister