The Land Has Eyes The Land Has Eyes is the only dramatic movie ever made with a Fijian theme (much less a Fijian director and cast). Not surprisingly, the film was directed and written by Vilsoni Hereniko who hails from Rotuma, where most of the movie was shot. Vili is a full time professor at the University of Hawai’i and took on this Herculean project with every ounce of his being. To his credit he (along with his wife Jeanette) produced a wonderful film that has received critical acclaim. When he's not writing screenplays or directing films Vili, teaches Pacific Island Studies at the University of Hawai’i, not far from my home.  Synopsis Shamed by her village for being poor and the daughter of a convicted thief, Viki is inspired and haunted by the Warrior Woman from her island's mythology. The lush tropical beauty of Rotuma, Fiji contrasts with the stifling conformity of island culture as Viki fights for justice and her freedom. Viki, a beautiful and sensitive young South Pacific girl, listens intently to her father, Hapati, a storyteller. His tale is about seven brothers and their sister on a voyaging canoe. The eldest brother commits an unforgivable act; later on the brothers abandon their sister on a remote island called Rotuma. Struggling to survive, the sister discovers inner strength and survives a difficult birth. Through hard work and determination, she becomes known to later generations of Rotumans as their first inhabitant and their Warrior Woman. Viki plants a tropical flower garden, which becomes her safe haven when she is teased or misunderstood. On an island that demands hard physical work instead of intellectual and artistic pursuits, Hapati encourages his daughter to develop her scholastic abilities; he also nurtures her questioning, probing nature. In return Viki adores her Father. When Hapati is wrongly accused of stealing coconuts by their wealthy neighbor, Koroa, who has just returned from Australia, Viki despairs. Meanwhile, Koroa schemes to force his neighbor Hapati and his family to move away while he builds the first double-story house on the island. And Koroa doesn’t want his son Noa idolizing the clever girl next door. Koroa bribes the dishonest court interpreter, Poto, with a pig. Poto lies about Hapati’s answers in a court case before the British judge who cannot understand or speak Rotuman. Since Hapati doesn’t speak English either, he is not aware of the misinterpretation. But Viki has hid under the court window and has overheard the deliberate mistranslation. When she tells her Father what has happened, Hapati repeats to her the ancient Rotuman belief that the land itself is vigilant and will eventually avenge any wrongdoing. Stressed out and working excessively hard so he can sell enough copra to pay the court fine, Hapati becomes ill and dies. Viki now understands the Warrior Woman’s feeling of abandonment. She, like the mythical first inhabitant of Rotuma, enters into a surreal realm temporarily before coming to terms with the fact she must face her destiny alone. Or maybe not, as her father’s spirit lives on through his story of the Warrior Woman, Viki’s role model and mentor. The Director Vilsoni Hereniko was born in the village of Mea, Hapmak, Itu'ti'u District on October 13, 1954. He is the youngest of eleven children born to Hereniko Hapati and Reui Olovie. Hereniko received his schooling in Rotuma before winning a scholarship to complete his secondary education in Fiji at Queen Victoria School. From there he went to the University of the South Pacific where he graduated in 1977 with a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Graduate Certificate in Education. Hereniko was then awarded a Commonwealth scholarship to study drama-in-education at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne in England, where he completed a Masters degree in Education. It was while at the University of South Pacific that he started writing plays; his work immediately became widely produced and popular throughout the Pacific, notably Don't Cry Mama, A Child For Iva, Sera's Choice and The Monster. It was also during this time that Hereniko experimented with film, making a documentary, The Rotuman Clown. In 1991, Hereniko was awarded a PhD by the University of the South Pacific. The same year, he joined the faculty at the Center of Pacific Island Studies at the University of Hawai’i where he is currently a full professor, teaching literature, theater and film. While in Hawai‘i Hereniko continued to write plays, several have been produced internationally including The Last Virgin In Paradise and Fine Dancing. He also published extensively, including a book based on his doctoral research titled Woven Gods and an illustrated children's book about the legend Sina And Tinilau. In 1997 he was presented the prestigious Elliott Cades Writing Award for his "significant body of work of exceptional quality." Serving on the jury and the selection committee of the Hawai‘i International Film Festival gave Hereniko an opportunity to witness the most outstanding film works coming out of Asia and the Pacific. A desire to visually express his original stories, Hereniko evolved into making films himself, shortly after marrying Jeannette Paulson, Founding Director of the Hawai‘i International Film Festival. Together, they established a film production company, Te Maka Productions, and produced a short film, Just Dancing, based on his play, Fine Dancing. Soon thereafter, Hereniko won the Hubert Bals Fund award (International Film Festival Rotterdam) to write what would become the first film from Fiji – The Land Has Eyes. This film is Hereniko’s feature debut. Director’s statement: A story has the power to transform people’s lives. Growing up on Rotuma, Fiji, I was filled with stories about the island, Greek mythology and the Bible, which nourished me with inspiration and hope. I see myself as a storyteller who recognizes that film is the most powerful medium for telling a story, a medium that has historically not been accessible or available to Pacific Islanders. In making this film, I was faced with great obstacles. However, if I know that fellow Pacific Islanders realize they too can be producers of their own images as a result of this work, I will feel that every challenge will have been worth it. It is my hope that audiences everywhere will not only be entertained by this story, but will walk away with a precious sense about Rotuma, its culture and its people. More than ever before, may we all recognize that we need the wisdom of our ancestors. With this film, I want to express the ancient Rotuman belief that: the land has eyes the land has teeth and knows the truth. May justice prevail, not just in film, but also in real life. Vilsoni Hereniko Read what the critics say . Meet the cast. Buy the DVD. © Rob Kay 2007