Rooted

‘Rooted’ is a music video that portrays the many faces and places of the Pacific. A collaboration between filmmakers and artists from around the region, it is an anthem for strength, unity and resilience. With dancers and musicians from Fiji, Tonga, Banaba, Rotuma, Marshall Islands and the Solomon Islands, the video portrays how art plays a part in our identity as people of the Pacific.

  • Mia Kami
    Author
  • Mia Kami
    Name of Band or Artist
  • Mia Kami
    Director
  • Tracy Rector
    Producer
  • Daniel Lin
    Producer
  • Mia Kami
    Producer
  • Anne Quidez
    Producer
  • Mia Kami
    Writer
  • Project Type:
    Music Video, Short
  • Genres:
    Indigenous, Pacific Islander
  • Runtime:
    4 minutes 54 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    August 20, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    20,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Fiji
  • Country of Filming:
    Australia, Fiji, Micronesia, Federated States of, Solomon Islands, Tonga
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Distribution Information
  • Nia Tero
    Distributor
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Mia Kami

Mia Kami is a Tongan singer/songwriter based in Suva, Fiji. She is passionate about gender equality, indigenous sovereignty, climate change & the Pacific region. Mia attended the University of the South Pacific where she majored in Law and Politics. She channels her passions into songwriting & uses her music to tell her stories as a young Pacific woman. She believes that art is the strongest form of storytelling that connects Pacific and indigenous people to their ancestors & their descendants.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

I initially wrote ‘rooted’ for an anti-logging campaign in the Oro province of Papua New Guinea in 2018. When I was writing it, I wanted the song to reflect how there is a deep connection between people of the Pacific, our land, sea and the deep ties to our identity. I had the same vision for the music video. I wanted the video to portray that we are not these small dots in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. We are strong, beautiful and creative people with so many stories to tell. We are not our struggles and hardships; we are our ancestors, our culture, our art, our music, our dance. Current issues such as COVID-19, climate change and indigenous sovereignty remind us of the need to cling to these values of storytelling, creativity, culture and togetherness, that have sustained us as Pacific people. This song and this video is for all people with a yearning for home because we are rooted in our place, our cultures, our traditions and our people. Because no matter where we are, we are here to stay.