Renowned Indigenous artisans showcased their craftsmanship at the premiere of the film Le Retour des Trésors Polynésiens or The Return of Polynesia’s Treasures at the University of Hawaiʻi–West Oʻahu in October.
The event began with demonstrations by the Pacific Islander artists and cultural practitioners:
- James Bamba, renowned Indigenous Chamorro weaver from the Mariana Islands in Micronesia. Bamba is only one of a handful of weavers that uses akgak (pandanus) as well as coconut
- Hinatea Colombani, master kapa maker and Polynesian cultural ambassador
- Anthony Watson, Palauan carver and UH Mānoa student
The artists were followed by the premiere of the 52-minute documentary (French with English subtitles), produced by Archipel Production and directed by Denis Pinson. The Return of Polynesia’s Treasures tells the moving story of the reclaiming of Polynesian heritage and identity, symbolized by the return of emblematic works of art to Polynesian soil after a long exile.
The Return of Polynesia’s Treasures is a 2025 entry to FIFO (the International Oceanian Documentary Film Festival), an annual film festival held on the French Polynesian island of Tahiti. This is the second year of FIFO in Hawaiʻi, made possible by the Center for Pacific Islands Studies at UH Mānoa.
The screening included a question and answer session hosted by Assistant Professor Samantha Farinella with guest speakers Colombani and Miriama Bono, president of FIFO and former director of the French Polynesia Museum, who is also an architect and a painter. The Associated Students of the University of Hawaiʻi–West Oʻahu hosted a luncheon at the conclusion of the event.
