A Dollar to Dream crew (l-r) Jeremiah Tauamiti, Pule Puleina, Carrisse Utai, Abba-Rose Vaiaoga-Ioasa at a NZ On Air workshop in Auckland.
When the concept for A Dollar to Dream was born, uplifting and empowering Pacific storytellers both in Aotearoa New Zealand and Samoa was central to its development.
Produced by Abba-Rose Vaiaoga-Ioasa of Cadness Street, the Samoan-language musical is one six selected Pacific Regional Media Fund projects, to be completed during 2025.
In July 2024, NZ On Air in collaboration with Pacific Cooperation Broadcasting Limited (PCBL) announced funding for the six projects, with the goal of creating content for audiences across the Pacific and Aotearoa.
Projects include Kingston Productions’ Children of Niue; Paradise in Peril, by SunPix; Kava Bowl Media’s Rugby Chiefs: Village Legends; Great Southern Television’s The Bride Price – Vanuatu; The War Below: Restoring Hope in the Solomon Islands, by Nine Islands Media, as well as A Dollar to Dream.
The inaugural fund pairs Aotearoa New Zealand-based Pasifika producers with Pacific-based producers and broadcasters, to create and produce content shot in the region and primarily in a Pacific language with English subtitles.
Translated into Gagana Samoa, Abba-Rose explains A Dollar to Dream, focuses on a young street vendor in Apia, Samoa who is determined to provide for his family.
“The story addresses the theme of poverty in Samoa, the lack of a welfare system, and showcases the musical styles and talents of Samoa and its youth,” she says.
It is in early pre-production and due to be completed in July 2025.
Planning the journey back to Samoa to produce the film using a predominantly Samoan crew is both exciting and empowering, Abba-Rose says.
“This project is about story sovereignty, and so using Pacific – and Samoan people where we can – is essential.
“We have Pacific people holding the key creative roles and this project is enabling us to build capacity, by uplifting emerging Pacific filmmakers with select internships and attachments.
“And by casting Samoan actors and crew, involving local communities and partnering with TV3 Samoa, it is truly a Pacific affair.”
The New Zealand-born Samoan Abba-Rose originally started working as a Process Engineer, but her path changed when her brother, Writer and Director Stallone Vaiaoga-Ioasa was searching for a Producer on his second feature film Hibiscus and Ruthless (2018).
“I really enjoyed project management (which is similar in many ways), so I decided to give it a go, quit my job and returned to Aotearoa to start my new role as Producer, working alongside my brother.”
Although not fluent in Samoan, Abba-Rose understands Gagana Samoa.
However, she says language has proven to be a barrier at times throughout the project to date, but it is a challenge she sees as a learning opportunity.
The PRMF is the first of its kind for NZ On Air, to collaboratively produce dynamic, digital-first content for a global audience.
Projects will be rolled out during 2025. Keep an eye on the Pasifika TV website for more information.
