NAFA Productions is filming a historical biopic titled “Mussau: The First Song” in Papua New Guinea this year [2].
The project highlights the life of Taula Lovovoa, an indigenous Seventh-day Adventist missionary from Mussau Island. By focusing on Lovovoa's experiences, the film aims to explore themes of reconciliation, and transformation during the colonial era.
Production is slated to begin in 2026 [2]. The story is set in the 1930s [1], depicting the early efforts of one of the first indigenous Seventh-day Adventist missionaries in the region.
Bijukumar Damodaran, an Indian National Film Award winner, is directing the project. The Papua New Guinea-based company NAFA Productions is overseeing the film, which will be shot primarily on Mussau Island [1].
The narrative centers on the intersection of faith and indigenous identity. The production seeks to document the specific historical context of the 1930s [1] through the lens of Lovovoa's missionary work.
Because the film is being shot on location, it utilizes the natural landscape of Mussau Island to recreate the colonial setting. The collaboration between an Indian director and a Papua New Guinean production company marks a cross-continental effort to bring this specific historical account to the screen.
“The film is set in the 1930s.”
The production of 'Mussau: The First Song' represents a growing trend of international co-productions focusing on non-Western historical narratives. By pairing an award-winning Indian director with a local production house, the project attempts to bridge diverse cinematic perspectives to tell a story of indigenous agency and religious transformation in the South Pacific.
