At the Cinema...with Hans Petrovic Samoan star hopes to form national theatre

Press, 27 March 1980, Page 18

At the Cinema...with Hans Petrovic Samoan star hopes to form national theatre

Uelese Petala, the Samoan star of “Sons for the Return Home,” which starts at the Westend tomorrow, is a man of great talent, ambition and strong views about his cultural heritage. During a recent visit to Christchurch to promote the new movie, he spoke strongly of his desire to start a Samoan National Theatre. “There is a tremendous need for this,” he said. “Such a company would give me the chance to revive indigenous Samoan dancing and singing. “In the future, I can see such a Samoan National Theatre travelling to other countries on cultural exchanges. “Only a few weeks ago the Samoan Government wrote to me and has agreed to send me to Australia for theatrical training and that has made the theatre a reality.” Uelese, who has already appeared in a Hamilton production of “Romeo and Juliet,” even has a desire to translate some of Shakespeare — particularly the tragedies — into Samoan. “Many of the Samoan legends are based on tragedy . and the people would go for Shakespeare,” he says. “I feel that the majority of the work of a Samoan National Theatre should be in the Samoan language because only the educated people speak English and the message must be taken to the villages in their own language. “Probably the most important thing for my career will be the training and study for what I am to do.” he adds. Uelese has had the desire to act ever since his years at the village school at Leauvaa, where he took the part of one of the Three Wise Men. Later, by the time he had appeared in dramatised local legends, he really had been striken by the acting bug. He appeared with the Apia Repertory Society before coming to New Zealand to train as a post office linesman in Christchurch, where he joined the Elmwood Players and gained more experience on the boards. As a result of these performances, he was engaged by the professional Court Theatre for Bruce Mason’s “Awatea” and Geoffrey Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales.” “I went back to Apia for a while after that and acted in and directed Craig Harrison’s ‘Ground Level’ but it wasn’t long before I returned to Christchurch,” Uelese says. “In 1976, I was chosen to be a presenter on television’s ‘Play School.’ Later, when I shifted to Hamilton and was still working as a linesman, I played in a local production there of ‘Romeo and Juliet.’ “When I was in Auckland in June, 1978, I read in the paper that the New Zealand Film Commission was helping to finance

‘Sons for the Return Home.’ “I rang them in Wellington and was told that they hadn’t yet cast the film. Later, in January, last year, they contacted me to audition in Wellington.” It was last March that he was told that he would play the part of Sione in this film. Since then Uelese has not looked back. Based now with his Samoan wife, Ada, and two daughters, Brenda, aged three years, and one-year-old Morwenna, in Western Samoa, he will still be seeing a lot of the rest of the world. Uelese is particularly looking forward to visiting the Cannes Film Festival this year with the leading lady (Fiona Lindsay) and director (Paul Maunder) of “Sons for the Return Home,” and several people from the New Zealand Film Commission. He has also been chosen to join the cast for an Australian film production of “Queen Emma,” a 19th century drama which is to be filmed in Samoa this June. This film will be based on a true story about a Samoan woman who inherits her father’s trading business and turns it into the biggest business of its kind in the Pacific during the 1880 s. Another result of his performance in Paul Maunder’s film and his stage work is that he will join the National Institute of Dramatic Arts in Sydney, beginning early next year, as a student in acting and direction. Besides his keen interest in the theatre, Uelese is an outspoken person on many other subjects. For instance, there is a deep concern about preservihg the Samoan culture, and because of this he feels very strongly about having a Samoan wife. “I try to encourage this attitude,” Uelese says, “and have gone on radio to say so for the sake of

keeping one's culture alive."

He believes that because of the difficulties between the races in New Zealand, m i x e d-race marriages should at present be discouraged. The 23-year-old actor said that after making the film, he had time to think. For filming Uelese and his wife and daughters went back to Western Samoa, and then decided to stay home.

Uelese said he and his wife had originally wanted permanent residence in New Zealand, but on reflection in their hearts there had always been a yearning for home. Now he even goes so far as to say the majority of Samoans in New Zealand should go home. “I think every Samoan here should work towards, and think about going home. Western Samba really needs the expertise of some of the Samoans living here,” he said. “The Government is trying to bring in industry and to create employment and higher wages. If every

Samoan factory worker here was to go home, the factories would shift to Western Samoa.” Uelese also claims the prejudices between Sa« moans and pklarigis (pakehas), other Polynesians. and even each other showing the film, really do exist. They are no different from the Maori-pakeha tensions that have existed in New Zealand for years. “Too many people take that sort of thing for granted,” he said. ‘ When it happens to them — their daughter or son wants to marry someone from another culture — they suddenly realise ? the prejudices are there - all the time.” Uelese Petaia knows i what it is like to be a Sa- -■ moan involved with a pa-1 langi girl and her parents, i He took out several* white New Zealand girls; when he was living in 2 Christchurch.

So what’s the answer? ‘ Uelese believes that, inpart, it could be to discourage mixed-racial mar< riages. '