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Fatu O Le Alofa gives a taste of life in the territory

Honolulu, HAWAI'I — Family, education, military service and deployment, farming, business, disputes over land and romantic relationships that span from American Samoa to the USA – from Tutuila and Manu’a to Iraq – that's real life for American Samoans in 2013 and that is what viewers will see in Heart to Heart: Fatu O Le Alofa, the new American Samoa film that held its U.S. premiere in Hawai'i last week.More than 100 people joined Atoa-O-Ali’i for the premiere held Wednesday, July 24 at the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Hall at the US Veterans Memorial at Ke’ehi Lagoon Park in Honolulu. Atoa-O-Ali’i, the Hawai’i-based council of Samoan chiefs and orators led by High Talking Chief Lupeomatasila Williams – is main sponsor of the premiere and Hawai’i showings for Fatu O Le Alofa.American Samoa-born Hawai’i State Sen. Mike Gabbard, Afimutasi Gus Hannemann, director of the American Samoa Government Office-Hawai’i and Dr. Salu Hunkin-Finau, director of the American Samoa Department of Education, were among the dignitaries in attendance.The film is a milestone for the territory which celebrated its 113th year under the U.S. flag in April. It is the very first full length motion picture written, filmed, produced and directed in – and by – residents of American Samoa.Fatu O Le Alofa came about when non-profit Families Student Support (FamSS) Production Group, which coordinates after school projects for teens, hired film school graduate Zena Noah Iese, a native of Hawai'i, and his crew to create the movie. Three crews collaborated on the making of this film as executive producers: FamSS Group Production, the American Samoa Actors Association (ASAA) and Iese’s all new Navigator Island Pictures. This is Iese's first time in the director's role.\We started with little or no money to produce this movie