by FilmInk Staff
While many people across the world have never heard of the Pacific nation of Naoero, 690,000 people across the globe – and counting – have viewed the country’s first ever film. That’s more than 57 times its population.
The 52-minute film Far End of the Sea, that tells the story of a Scottish sailor taken captive by a local after being shipwrecked on the island in 1842, which recently premiered in Naoero has now been released online (YouTube), with the producers appealing to the world to join with them to celebrate this historic moment.
Created by Pleasant Island Productions, Far End of the Sea features 58 Naoeroan cast and crew, was filmed entirely on the 21 square kilometre (8 square mile) country across seven locations and has been hailed by critics for its authenticity and emotion.
Australian based actor Jamie Coffa, whose credits include Australian movies and a TV miniseries, starred alongside Naoero’s only professional actor Cramer Cain, with supporting roles played by Australia’s Sophie McAsey and local acting debutants Redrose Tamakin and Brav Dowabobo.
Coffa, who spent his childhood on Naoero, wrote the script and produced the film alongside Cain and Naoeroan Yannick Detsiogo, said Naoero was a special place.
“It’s been a long-time dream of mine to create a project that celebrates Naoeroan language, culture and history, and I wanted to do something for a place that gave me so much growing up.”
The nation’s government funded the project, with Naoero’s President David Adeang saying the production was a proud moment for the nation.
“Many people in the world don’t know much about our country’s culture or history, and while this is a fictional story, the brotherhood, compassion and national pride at the core of the story is an accurate portrayal of our people,” he said.
“The fact that such a high quality production was made by a predominantly Naoeroan cast and crew, even the soundtrack was written and sung by locals, shows that anything is possible with determination and resilience.”
The movie’s producers said the response from people across the world was overwhelming, with viewers commenting that the movie was “powerful, emotional, and deeply moving,” and a review from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation rating it 10 out of 10.
Coffa said he hopes millions of viewers from far and wide get to experience the heart of a small island nation.
