NIHI Indigenous Media, a nonprofit production house based in Guam, premiered “Micronesian Heroes,” a series of short, animated videos, on Saipan at the American Memorial Park indoor theater on Saturday, March 1.
The series celebrates “leaders across Micronesia who protected and nurtured our homelands and peoples with wisdom and care.”
The late former Rep. Cinta M. Kaipat and her work with Save Pagan were featured in the animated shorts.
“From healers to lawyers to artists, whether organizing community action, sustaining traditional knowledge, crafting poetry, or changing policy — the featured regional heroes come from all walks of life, connected by a deeply rooted love for their islands, people, and future,” a media release stated.
Present on island for the premier was Cara Flores, director and co-writer, and Siobhan Rumurang, co-writer.
Rumurang said the series was a “tribute to the beauty and strength that connects us all.”
“We really created this film as a reminder of who we are and who we come from,” Rumurang said. “We don’t just belong to really beautiful islands, but we belong to very incredible people, some who have passed, but some that are still with us today.”
Saipan was the final stop for Rumurang and Flores as they took “Micronesian Heroes” on a tour of the entire southern arc of the Marianas. The film had its debut on Guam on Feb. 21, with screenings on Rota on Feb. 27 and Tinian on Feb. 28.
Aside from premiering “Micronesian Heroes” for Saipan audiences, Rumurang and Flores likewise screened “Ulu Hulu” and “Marianas Cousins.”
Ulu Hulu is a YouTube series entirely in Chamorro. It is based on the card game “heads up,” where players try to guess the word written on a card and held on their partner’s forehead.
“Marianas Cousins” is a live-action series of short videos about Guam, Rota, Tinian, and Saipan as told through the perspective of a child from each island. It highlights the different parts of the island the child loves.
“This series was so special,” Rumurang said of “Marianas Cousins.” “It reminded us of the beauty of the village, the simplicity of being a child and the love you have for your island at that age before you’ve gotten a little bit jaded.”
Overall, Rumurang said the events helped spread unity.
“I feel like it’s always so important to remind everybody in all our islands that even though we might sometimes feel separated—whether it’s politically or even geographically or economically—when we create stories that remind us that all of us belong to a really beautiful region, whether it’s just here in the Marianas or even across Micronesia, it’s a reminder that we all come from such beautiful islands and there’s so much more that brings us together than separates us,” Rumurang said.
Audience members pose for a group photo with Nihi Indigenous Media at American Memorial Park’s indoor theater.
Siobhan Rumurang speaks at the film screening.
From “Marianas Cousins.”
“Heroes of Micronesia”
