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Pacific Islander Films, Ranked

I'm making an effort to screen every film ever shot in the Pacific Islands that features Pacific Islander characters and/or culture. I figured that I might as well rank them here as I go. Many of these I've seen, but not since I joined Letterboxd. If I've rated the film below, it means that I've rewatched it for this list. Otherwise, the ranking is based on my current memory of my initial viewing or the assumptions I have. Rankings are based on a balance between the quality of the film and representation of Pacific Island people or lands in the film. As a Pacific Islander and filmmaker myself, I recognize that much of that representation is problematic, if not downright offensive. That’s just not the focus of this list.

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  • Boy

    1

  • Once Were Warriors

    2

  • The Wind & the Reckoning

    3

  • The Dead Lands

    4

  • Hawaiian Soul

    5

  • Red, White & Brass

    6

  • Like a Mighty Wave

    7

  • Cousins

    8

  • Waru

    9

  • Mauri

    10

  • Patu!

    11

  • Belief: The Possession of Janet Moses

    12

  • Out of State

    13

  • Island Soldier

    14

  • Hae Hawaiʻi

    15

  • Tama Tū

    16

  • Next Goal Wins

    17

  • For My Father's Kingdom

    18

  • The Land Has Eyes

    19

  • Whale Rider

    20

  • Tanna

    21

  • This Is the Way We Rise

    22

  • Polynesian Panthers

    23

  • Metro Manila

    24

  • Shopping

    25

  • The Orator

    26

  • Utu

    27

  • Eating Up Easter

    28

  • In Football We Trust

    29

  • Ho'omau

    30

  • Vai

    31

  • South Pacific

    32

  • Two Cars, One Night

    33

  • Mahana

    34

  • No. 2

    35

  • Waikiki

    36

  • Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen

    37

  • Princess Ka'iulani

    38

  • Moana

    39

  • Moana

    40

  • Tabu

    41

  • Picture Bride

    42

  • Hawaiian: The Legend of Eddie Aikau

    43

  • Waterman

    44

  • Patutiki, l'art du tatouage des îles Marquises

    45

  • Muru

    46

  • Next Goal Wins

    47

  • The Strength of Water

    48

  • Māui's Hook

    49

  • Papa Mau

    50

  • Hotere

    51

  • Down on the Sidewalk in Waikiki

    52

  • The Legend of Baron To'a

    53

  • Pacific Warriors

    54

  • I Was a Simple Man

    55

  • Kumu Hina

    56

  • The Heart of the Sea: Kapolioka'ehukai

    57

  • One Thousand Ropes

    58

  • Lola Igna

    59

  • The Pā Boys

    60

  • Conquest of Hawaii

    61

  • Gold, Silver, Death

    62

  • What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?

    63

  • The Haumana

    64

  • The Dark Horse

    65

  • From What Is Before

    66

  • Graceland

    67

  • Birdshot

    68

  • Us, at The End of the Year

    69

  • Norte, The End of History

    70

  • Rap's Hawaii

    71

  • The Laughing Samoans: Fobulous

    72

  • Gary of the Pacific

    73

  • There Once was an Island: Te Henua e Nnoho

    74

  • Rapa Nui

    75

  • Mo'o!

    76

  • Iska

    77

  • Ongka's Big Moka

    78

  • Billy T Te Movie

    79

  • By the Balls

    80

  • Journey to the South Pacific

    81

  • Finding ʻOhana

    82

  • Lava

    83

  • Lilo & Stitch

    84

  • Coming Home in the Dark

    85

  • Savage

    86

  • Aloha

    87

  • The Descendants

    88

  • Riding Giants

    89

  • Blue Crush

    90

  • Bustin' Down the Door

    91

  • Reel Paradise

    92

  • Poi E: The Story of Our Song

    93

  • Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw

    94

  • Aquaman

    95

  • Hunt for the Wilderpeople

    96

  • Baby Done

    97

  • What We Do in the Shadows

    98

  • Eagle vs Shark

    99

  • The Hurricane

    100