SIONE’S WEDDING

New Zealand, 2006, 97 minutes, Colour.
Oscar Kightley, Iaheto Ah Hi, Shimpal Lelisi, Robbie Magasiva. Teuila Blakely, Pua Magasiva.
Directed by Chris Graham.

Sione’s Wedding was very popular in New Zealand, especially amongst members of the Pacific Islander community. The film focuses on a group initially from Samoa and their life in Auckland.

Sione is the younger brother of one of four men who are approaching thirty, still very immature, drinking, womanising, causing chaos. They are given an ultimatum about Sione’s wedding, from Sione himself and from the religious pastor. They have a month to find someone that they can genuinely relate to and bring to the wedding.

The film focuses on the adventures of the four. Oscar Kightley portrays Albert (Kightley co-wrote the screenplay) who lives with his mother and works in an office. Michael (Robbie Magasiva) is a womanising type, especially with white women. Stanley imagines all kinds of attractive girls – but has to face up to reality. Sefa is in a relationship and his girlfriend has become pregnant which makes him consider his future.

The film shows the comic shenanigans of the four men, their relationships with women, the nearing time of the wedding. Needless to say, all ends happily, more or less.

There was a sequel to the film in 2011.

1. A New Zealand entertainment? For New Zealanders? For the Pacific Island communities? Samoans?

2. The Auckland settings, the modern city? Modern city life? So different from the islands? The musical score?

3. The wedding, Sione, the younger brother, his wanting the wedding to go well? The ultimatum from the minister? The conditions for the four coming to the wedding?

4. The picture of the behaviour of the four? Their drinking? Their relationships with women? Casual? Their causing mayhem? Arrested? In prison? Their promises? Their stupidities? Audience sympathy or not?

5. Albert, living with his mother, at work, shy, one of the boys, fat and bespectacled? His shyness with the girl from the office? Her joining the group? The men forcing him to propose to her? The happy ending at the wedding?

6. Michael? Handsome, dashing? Yet immature? His relationship with women? White? The married woman? His flirting with the woman at the office and his speeches from the lift? His seeming common sense? His failures? His final admitting – that he was one of that type of man?

7. Stanley, awkward, a joker in the group? His imagining glamorous women – and then facing the reality? His being a catalyst for the others? His finally coming to the wedding with Albert’s mother?

8. Sefa? Drinking, his friendship with the rest of the men? His relationship with his girlfriend? At home, her brother? His fear that she had a disease? Her pregnancy? His not being able to respond? His finally not drinking at the wedding, the public proposal?

9. The women, their role in the community? At work, at home? The white women?

10. Derek, the white men from the office? Their tormenting Albert? With the police – and the young policeman and his hitting the four? Arresting them?

11. The Reverend, his role in the community, his laying down the conditions? His letting the men into the wedding? His happily officiating?

12. Sione, not a prominent character in the film – but happy with the way that his wedding and the reception went?