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Story: Feature film

The orator, 2011

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The first-ever feature film entirely in the Samoan language was also the first feature for director Tusi Tamasese. Its central character, Saili (Fa'afiaula Sagote) is a small man called upon to assume the role of chief of his village. Beautifully shot and acted, The orator won several international awards. Watch the trailer.

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NZ On Screen

Reference: The orator - O Le Tulafale. Producer, Catherine Fitzgerald; director and writer, Tusi Tamasese. Blueskin Films, 2007.

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How to cite this page

Helen Martin, Feature film – The 2010s: the age of streaming, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/video/42497/the-orator-2011 (accessed 5 June 2026).

Story by Helen Martin, published 9 September 2013, reviewed and revised 21 May 2024 with assistance from Emma-Jean Kelly.