An associate producer of a Samoan/New Zealand movie chosen to compete at one of the world's most prestigious film festivals says it is putting the Pacific region on the map.
O Le Tulafale or The Orator, which was written and directed by Tusi Tamasese, has gained a special mention and has won two awards in the Orizzonti or New Horizons section of the 68th Venice International Film Festival.
One of the film's associate producers, Wellington-based actor and tutor, Nathaniel Lees, says the film has aroused interest in the Pacific.
"It's not just Samoa. It is about the Pacific. I mean we're specifically a Samoan story but the fact that it's from the Pacific is of a great deal of interest I think, certainly to the European audience, and American audience if they get to see it."
Nathaniel Lees says he believes gaining a special mention puts it in the top five films that played at the festival.