Paradise
Directed by Paul Manate, 2019
SYNOPSIS
While Teivi is just a typical ambitious young man from the Tahitian golden youth, his distant cousin, Yasmina, is a full-blooded Maori owner of a mysterious gift that isolated her from the world. Their paths will clash and, in order to defend her community, she will give full vent to her hided magic powers.
Cast
Technical Details
Sebastian URZENDOWSKY Blanche-Neige HURI
Patrick DESCAMPS
Technical Crew
Fiction - France - 2019
86' - 2K - Colour - 1.85:1 - 5.1
Version
French and Polynesian with French subtitles
French and Polynesian with English subtitles
Directed by
Paul MANATE
Written by
Paul MANATE
Cécile DUCROCQ
Photography
Amine BERRADA
Editing
Stéphanie ARAUD
Sound
Philippe LECOEUR
Tuhiva LAMBERT
Original score
Olivier MELLANO
Production
Nicolas BREVIERE – Local Films
A perte de vue
Anaphi Studio
Filmin’Tahiti
Distribution
UFO Distribution
Premium Films
International Sales
Local Films
Partnerships
CNC – Avance sur recettes Région Bretagne
Sofica Cofinova
France O
Festivals
Festival Fifo Tahiti
Festival International du film de Moscou
Festival de Cinéma Travelling de Rennes
Festival de Cinéma de la Foa – Nouvelle Calédonie
Downloads
TRAILER
Born in Papeete, Paul Manate spent his childhood in Arue and then at PK9 in Mahina, along with his three siblings.
In the early 1980s, the family moved to mainland France, but Paul regularly returned to his homeland. With each visit, he reconnected with his roots and gradually nourished his imagination, drawing inspiration from the landscapes, personalities, and Tahitian culture — the foundation for his future films.
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 as a script consultant for Canal+.
In 1995, he directed his first documentary, Des pirogues et des hommes (Of Canoes and Men), about the Va’a club in Faaa and the Heiva races. In 1998, he made a short film, Ina, inspired by his Kanak half-sister, and in 2008, he directed Mes quatre morts (My Four Deaths). Finally, in 2013, he shot Nevermore in Tahiti, telling the story of a returning "demi" legionnaire to the fenua (homeland).
Today, with his feature film L’Oiseau de paradis (The Bird of Paradise), Paul continues his cinematic exploration of the richness and complexity of Polynesian identity.