A heart-breaking story detailing Faʻamoana John Luafutu’s time as a state ward. Using his voice for the voiceless, Luafutu vitally brings this story to light. A must-watch for all New Zealanders.
I began in innocence, new born, a blank page. The story was written, the story of thousands of children, has to be heard. Our history must be faced. May the truth set us free.
Screened as part of NZIFF 2022
A Boy Called Piano - The Story of Fa'amoana John Luafutu 2021
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At 11 years old, Faʻamoana John Luafutu was taken to the Auckland Family Court, and made a ward of the state. He was then sent to Owairaka Boys home, and later Kohitere – a boys training centre – that was one of the main subjects of the recent Royal Commission of Inquiry into abuse in state care. The story of Luafutu and the thousands of children who also went through state care has not been told like this. Until now.
A Boy Called Piano is the product of a long-term collaboration between Nina Nawalowalo's theatre company The Conch, Fa’amoana John Luafutu and the Luafutu Aiga. The film blends dramatised sequences and powerful interviews with beautiful aerial and underwater photography – translating Nawalowalo’s celebrated visual storytelling to the screen for the first time.
This heart-breaking story details Luafutu’s time as a state ward. At its core, it is a story about fathers and sons, intergenerational trauma and redemption. Using his voice for the voiceless, Luafutu and Nawalowalo vitally bring this story to light. A must-watch for all New Zealanders. — Lana Lopesi