Flying Fox in a Freedom Tree

Based on two short stories from a collection by Samoan writer Albert Wendt, Flying Fox in a Freedom Tree depicts the life of a young man whose father sends him away from his village and his family to be educated. As he grows up, he becomes increasingly disenchanted with the trappings of the Palangi, rejecting religion and turning to crime.

Shot on location in Samoa, with a largely amateur crew, this is the directorial debut of New Zealand actor Martyn Sanderson, who gives Wendt’s writing the accomplished screen treatment it deserves.