Juniper Films

Symi 2010

Juniper — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 06:37:04 +0000

John Tristram made a return visit to Symi this year. There, he met up again with the Papakaladoukas family who featured in our film Ten Times Empty (see SYMI1976 DVD).

Viewers of the film might be interested to learn that the young boy, Vasilis did not become a fisherman as was his wish when 12 years old.

Nor did migrate away from Symi like so many others.

He went to Athens to study, became an accountant and joined the Symi Shipping Line, ANES.

Today he is General Manager of the company and is seen here with his son. In the background is one of the ANES Line’s ferries.

One of Vasilis’ brothers, Lefkeris, became Mayor of Symi. Nikolas, his father who is over now over 70 years of age, is still fishing.

Some of Father Tsingos’ children emigrated to Australia and he himself visited Australia several times to officiate at marriages and baptise his grand children. One of his grand-daughters, Anna who was born in Sydney, recently moved to Symi and has opened an attractive boutique shop in the heart of the old town.

Click on the thumbnail images for larger versions. You can preview and buy the Symi 1976 DVD here.

Astonish-Me

Juniper — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 11:30:06 +0000

Astonish-me is a package of three rare Polynesian stories all of which are linked by a dominant musical theme. They form a unique portrait of three South Pacific island nations: Samoa, Tahiti and Tonga. Click here to order

Samoa Tales DVD

Juniper — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 07:24:58 +0000

A new DVD with six short tales will be available in September. The DVD features two stories on the traditional Polynesian tattoo, now only practised in Samoa. Although the painful procedure remains the same for male and female (malu), the tattoos thereafter are very different.

Other tales feature the dramatic fautasi canoe races; a light hearted review of Gary Cooper in the year Hollywood came to Samoa; and a dramatisation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s last 5 years in Samoa, as remembered by Samoans themselves.

Tales from Oceania

Juniper — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 11:10:35 +0000

We’ve released a new DVD in French of this 13 part series. These sought after cultural stories from Pacific nations, Indonesia, the Philippines and Northern Australia are now available in French and English.

Three New Short DVDs

Juniper — Mon, 31 May 2010 07:36:55 +0000

We’re releasing three new short DVDs for sale with music themes from three Polynesian nations. Click through to the individual titles to buy.

TAHITI – Manouche Lehartel mixes traditional music with Mozart. »

TONGA – Marilyn Meier revisits her homeland to play for the King. »

SAMOA – Aggie Grey shows us her beloved Samoa. »

The Volcano’s Wife

Juniper — Wed, 26 May 2010 07:10:20 +0000

The Volcano’s Wife, in association with Michael Dillon Film Enterprises, is an untold slice of Australian history set in Papua New Guinea and Sydney – a story of how one woman survived the 1951 volcanic eruption of Mt Lamington which killed over 10,000 people.

It was the biggest natural disaster in Australia’s immediate region.

The project is already part filmed.

12mins trailer is available on request.

NF&SA Selects Pacifica

Juniper — Sun, 16 May 2010 06:15:33 +0000

The National Film & Sound Archive has selected the Juniper television series, PACIFICA – Tales from the South Seas for inclusion in the National Collection.

The National Film and Sound Archive’s primary aim is to develop a comprehensive collection of Australian works and materials representing the history, technology and culture of the audiovisual media, from their origins to the present time.

In the House of Pure Red Feathers

Juniper — Fri, 07 May 2010 06:51:40 +0000

Robert Flaherty’s first film, Nanook of the North became a cinema sensation in 1924 and brought Flaherty international fame. When Hollywood contracted him for a second film, Flaherty chose Samoa as the location.

In the House of Pure Red Feathers charts Flaherty’s creative labours in Samoa, strange off-camera experiences, his volatile relationship with Hollywood during filming and post production – and his now disputed depiction of Samoan culture.

The film narrative comes from Samoans themselves as they analyse Flaherty’s film, Moana from their post colonial perspectives. Filming will take place on the original locations.

5mins trailer is available on request.

Origin Oceania

Juniper — Thu, 06 May 2010 06:38:25 +0000

A fascinating insight into rare items from some of the world’s great museums.

This is not about the museums, it is the amazing stories of how and why these rare objects came to be there.

The film journeys back to their origins in Tahiti, Tonga, Hawaii, Samoa, Vanuatu.

3mins trailer is available on request.

Fiji’s Sound of Music

Juniper — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 07:23:25 +0000

Filming has started in Salzburg and Fiji and an interview with Johan von Trapp was completed in Vermont.

The film story revolves around Father Franz Wasner, renowned musical director of the von Trapp family choir. Part of his own history remains in Fiji.