Creative Media Production students tackle climate change with Pacific documentary

Three Massey University students have returned from a trip to the remote Pacific nation of Tokelau, where they filmed a documentary on the effects of climate change.

Bachelor of Creative Media Production students Ben Dickens, Kelly Moneymaker and Mason Rudd spent three weeks filming and interviewing locals on the islands of Tokelau, along with College of Creative Arts Pacific advisor Herbert Bartley, and a local guide.

The film, Vaka, is being made in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the government of Tokelau as part of the students’ third-year programme, where they pitch and create projects for real-world clients.

Ms Moneymaker says the opportunity to go to Tokelau, which is reached via a 52-hour boat ride from Apia, Samoa, was an adventure she had to take. “The society is really beautiful. They gather food together, share the catch, and live collectively.

“They’re solutionists as they have to keep evolving. Their resilience is very inspiring, and I learned a lot about my Pasifika roots.”

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