
The Navel of the World
“Te Pito o Te Henua” (The Navel of the World) tells the story of the community behind Rapa Nui’s largest and most colorful annual Indigenous celebration, the Tāpati Rapa Nui Festival. Honoring ancient rites and competitions, Rapa Nui families participate in nine days of athletic feats, cultural demonstrations and ceremonies paying respect to the land, water and other natural beings of the island. They also crown a Queen to represent her people for a year throughout Polynesia and on the world stage. The film traces the journey of 19-year-old candidate Vaitiare and her family as they join work to earn her the crown and represent this small but well-known island as its people fight for increased autonomy and recognition on the world stage. Through intimate character portraits, behind-the-curtain moments and heartfelt musical performances, “Te Pito o Te Henua” reveals the true meaning of Tāpati and the deep connections the Rapa Nui share with their lands and waters.
- Status
- Released
- Budget
- $100K
- Box office
- —
- Language
- EN
- indigenous
- climate
- enviromental
- culture
- guardianship
- native language
Behind the camera
Director
Produced in
Chile
Videos
No extra videos are listed for this title yet.
Release dates
United StatesUS
- Theatrical14 Jun 2024
Frequently asked questions
The Navel of the World was released on 14 June 2024.
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