Liliu

Young Samoan Solo’s job is to translate for non-English speaking Samoans on trial before the New Zealand colonial Native Court in 1920s Western Samoa. Eyed suspiciously by his countrymen, Solo finds himself increasingly torn between his duty and his community. When Nua, an older woman chief, boldly refuses to play along with the colonial narrative of legitimate domination, Solo has to face up to his personal role in helping to bolster colonial rule. As the camera lingers on the faces of Liliu's protagonists, it captures pain and conflict, defiance and resilience. (Berlinale)