The idea that some lives matter less is the root of all that is wrong with the world - Dr. Paul Farmer
ARTIST STATEMENT
Born in Fiji, raised in the Pacific Islands and New Zealand, and having worked in the UK, US, and Qatar, I have consistently lived in communities and cultures that are not my own, finding myself an immigrant in my own life. Concepts around belonging, dislocation, and severance from family are central to my work, along with worlds reflecting mixed cultures and languages. My protagonists are often women wrestling with institutional injustices while striving to be the author of their own lives. My work is a love letter to those who struggle to belong.
At my core, I strive to honor, empower and celebrate each and every one of us. I am an activist, and with my films, a freedom fighter, devoted to putting a light on suffering, injustice, and perspectives less visible. I am compelled by a central belief that all people deserve to feel safe, have equal access to opportunities, and be treated with dignity. I am drawn to films and stories where this is not the case.
I owe my parents a great debt of gratitude. My Taranaki-born mother was eccentric, a feminist, and a producer for Radio New Zealand. My father, raised in poverty in Oldham, England, became a teacher by day and a high-tenor opera singer by night. My parents shared a love for the pacific islands, teaching, and cheering for the underdogs. We were a weird, well-informed family living on the smell of a teacher’s salary.
I credit New Zealand for shaping my views around feminism and equality — and for igniting my activism. The imprint on my being and work is undeniable. Feminism in New Zealand is central to daily life being the first country in the world to grant women the right to vote. At my all-girls high school, we were empowered to be adventurers, question authority, and disrupt for change.
Attending ten schools between the ages of 4 and 17 was the darkest part of my childhood. I survived by watching how people moved through the world and making them laugh. It was painful, but it taught me to be resilient and care deeply for those our society deems as outsiders. I was forced to normalize the uncomfortableness of being an outsider - a discomfort consistently being reconciled in my stories.
At the age of 18, reeling from my parent's divorce and its annihilation of our family unit, combined with wanting to see the wider world, I left for London. There I studied drama while pulling pints in a pub and eventually ended up in Los Angeles, where I studied cinema while serving in a 50s diner. In my first days in the USA, despite reservations about American politics and its unsettling ideas around freedom and democracy, I discovered the friendliness, warmth, and ‘can do’ spirit of the American people. This resonated profoundly and influenced my choice to call Los Angeles home for two decades.
Combining all these elements is where I draw my inspiration and motivation as an artist, an activist, and as a woman. I tell stories about unwanted and betrayed characters in rich and complex worlds with the hope we can have empathy, understanding, and acceptance of people, cultures, and our differences.
I identify as a Fijian/New Zealand/British/American who intends to leave my tread on this earth. I am flawed and I am happy, and above everything else, I cherish and hold in high regard this life that I have been given.