The Return
New Zealand | 2026 | 15 min. | Marina Alofagia McCartney (Sāmoeleoi, Sālilomaiava, Geordie, Romanichal)
Rejected for not speaking Samoan, Lupesina confronts trauma and identity, discovers her death, reclaims tattooing, and returns home through ancestral power and self-recognition.
- Director: Marina Alofagia McCartney (Sāmoeleoi, Sālilomaiava, Geordie, Romanichal)
- Principal Cast: Vaimaila Urale-Baker, Katerina Fatupaito, Milly Trelease, Louise Tu'u
- Country: New Zealand, USA
- Year: 2026
- Running Time: 15 min.
- Producer: Alex Lovell, Eldon Booth
- Screenplay: Marina Alofagia McCartney
- Cinematographers: Andrew McGeorge
- Editors: Alex Boyd
- Website: Official Film Website
- Language: English, Samoan
- Has Subtitles: Yes
This film is playing as a part of Teachings of the Elders
Indigenous Elders share teachings through story, land, and memory, guiding future generations with wisdom rooted in perseverance, relationships, and enduring cultural knowledge across communities.
This shorts program is generously sponsored by Crystal Wilson
This shorts program is generously sponsored by Crystal Wilson
