Multiculturalism in no. 2: Representing New Zealand in screen and sound

Abstract

NewZealand's Pacific diaspora is a significant part of the cultural diversity of the nation. While many Pacific peoples have migrated to NewZealand as a result of colonialism or continued political ties, others havemoved as a result of such factors as location, employment or lifestyle. The nation's Fijian diaspora is significant in many ways. In 2013, 7% of New Zealand's population of around 4.5M identified with at least one Pacific identity, and within this wide grouping Fijians comprised 14,445 people. Further, Auckland, which is the largest city in New Zealand, is the location where most who self-identify as Fijians live. In terms of representing multicultural New Zealand in screen and sound, the film No. 2, which was directed by Toa Fraser and released in 2006 (it is based on a one-woman act play with the same title of 1999), portrays a day in the life of an extended Fijian family in the South Auckland suburb of Mt Roskill. The film is a complex mix of cultural representation, including Fijians, Europeans, Asians and others, and added to this are the cultural identities of the actors themselves, which do not always match the identities they are representing.