Tusi Tamasese

Tusi Tamasese, a master of Pacific realism cinema, was born in 1975 in Samoa, a small island nation in the South Pacific. Since his active years of filmmaking starting from 2005, Tamasese has notably directed films in a variety of genres, with his most famous works including "The Orator" and "One Thousand Ropes," both of which are deeply rooted in the culture and traditions of his Samoan homeland. These films have garnered international acclaim, with "The Orator" being the first-ever Samoan feature film and New Zealand's official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 84th Academy Awards. Tusi Tamasese, with his unique cinematic voice and his dedication to telling authentic Samoan stories, truly embodies the spirit of independent filmmaking.