Film screening of Tongan Ark (2012)

Join us at Wollongong Art Gallery for a free film screening of Tongan Ark (2012) presented in conjunction with Adriana Māhanga Lear’s exhibition Fafangu: To Awaken.

A film for the senses as much as the mind, this lyrical documentary records the last years of Professor Futa Helu and his miraculous ‘Atenisi Institute, an unconventional and independent Oceanic school.

Ancient Greek philosophy, opera and Tongan culture combine in this portrait of a teacher, navigating his people through crisis in a small but hearty island kingdom.

As the only liberal arts university independent of both the government and the church, Tongan Ark offers ‘Atenisi Instituteas a case study for understanding the historical and contemporary forces shaping the social and political landscape of Tonga. The film taps into the contexts and conditions that Adriana Māhanga Lear speaks to in their exhibition.

This documentary, by New Zealand filmmaker Paul Janman, sold out at the NZ Film festival and has been screened worldwide.

Image: Still from Tongan Ark (detail) (2012). Courtesy of the Director.