nevermore

Born in Papeete, Paul Manate spent his childhood in Arue and then at PK9 in Mahina, with his three siblings.

In the early 1980s, the family moved to mainland France, but Paul regularly returned to his native land. With each visit, he reconnected with his roots and gradually nourished his imagination, drawing inspiration and substance for his future films from the landscapes, people, and Tahitian culture.

It was in France that his passion for cinema took shape. He earned a postgraduate degree (DEA) in film studies from the Sorbonne and worked for Canal+ as a script consultant.

In 1995, he directed his first documentary, Des pirogues et des hommes, about the Va'a canoe club of Faaa and the Heiva races. In 1998, he shot a short film, Ina, inspired by the character of his Kanak half-sister, followed by Mes quatre morts in 2008. Finally, in 2013, he filmed Nevermore in Tahiti, about the return of a mixed-race legionnaire to the fenua (homeland). Today, with the feature film L'Oiseau de paradis, Paul continues his cinematic exploration of the richness and complexity of Polynesian identity.