Monica in the South Seas

Monica in the South Seas (2023) is a documentary film directed by Mika Taanila, Sami van Ingen.

Finnish filmmaker and artist Sami van Ingen is a great-grandson of documentary pioneer Robert Flaherty, and seemingly the sole member of the family with a hands-on interest in continuing the directing legacy. Among the materials he found in the estate of Robert and Frances Flaherty’s daughter Monica were the film reels and video tapes detailing several years of work on realising her lifelong dream project: a sound version of her parents’ 1926 docu-fiction axiom, Moana: A Romance of the Golden Age.

Cast

Monica Flaherty

Self

Robert Flaherty

Self (archival footage)

Frances H. Flaherty

Self (archival footage)

Le'iataualesa Vaiao Ala'ilima

Self

Sarah Hudson

Self

Richard Leacock

Self

Fa'amgase

Self

Pe'a

Self