Filming Loimata a family affair
In LOIMATA, The Sweetest Tears, director Anna Marbrook, Jim’s sister, takes us with her friend, the extraordinary ocean-going waka captain, Lilo Ema Siope on an emotional healing journey in the last months of her life.
The documentary is strongly tied to Ema’s Samoan culture and is an intimate exploration of a family shattered by shame working courageously to liberate themselves from the shackles of the past.
Jim says, "It was Ema who suggested that I step aboard this project and so there we were, Anna and I, a family making a film about a family, bringing along other Marbrooks to help, inspired by Ema and also cherishing the experience of being able to spend time with the remarkable Siope aiga. Making LOIMATA, The Sweetest Tears involved going deep into the heart of the love, tensions and currents within a family. It is in this honest, open and loving examination of the Siope family that we see the most potential for them to heal and transform their lives. "
The film premiered at the New Zealand International Film Festival yesterday to sell out screenings in Auckland and Wellington, and online. Additional At Home – Online screenings run from 3 – 8 August.
Loimata was made with the support of NZ On Air. Commissioned by Māori Television. Completed with the assistance of a Feature Film Finishing Grant from the New Zealand Film Commission. Developed with the assistance of Doc Edge Pitch.