Papua New Guinea-based NAFA Productions has released “Mussau: The First Song,” a historical biographical film based on the life of Taula Lovovoa, one of the first indigenous Adventist missionaries on the island of Mussau.

Set in the 1930s, the film chronicles Lovovoa’s journey of transformation and reconciliation on an island that Australian colonial reports of the time labeled the “Devil’s Paradise” and predicted would cease to exist within two decades.

Parul Agrawal produces, with Noelene Taula Wunum executive producing. At the helm is Bijukumar Damodaran, a three-time winner of India’s National Film Award whose previous feature film “Papa Buka,” a co-production between India and Papua New Guinea, earned the distinction of becoming the country’s first Academy Awards nomination.

The story originated with Hilda Tanimia. Screenplay credits are shared by Damodaran, Joses Imona and Jennifer Litau, with Litau also handling Tok Pisin and vernacular translation duties. Yedhu Radhakrishnan is behind the camera and Davis Manuel takes over as editor.

Five languages ​​will be heard on the screen: Mussau, Emira, Agarabi, Tok Pisin and English, including several classified as endangered. The production treats the presence of native speakers in these roles as a contribution to the broader linguistic preservation effort. All cast members are natives of Mussau and each will be making their screen debut.

Agrawal said: “‘Mussau: The First Song’ is a story that belongs to the people of Mussau and Papua New Guinea. We are committed to telling it authentically by working closely with the local community, historians and cultural advisors. We hope the film will present to international audiences an extraordinary chapter in Papua New Guinea’s history.”

Wunum added: “This project represents an extraordinary collaboration between filmmakers, government institutions and the people of Mussau. We hope it becomes a film that Papua New Guinea can proudly present to the world.”

Damodaran said: “Papua New Guinea has fascinated me since I made ‘Papa Buka’, an India-Papua New Guinea co-production that became Papua New Guinea’s first official submission to the Academy Awards. That trip introduced me to a country of extraordinary cultural diversity, powerful traditions and deep-rooted stories that remain largely unknown to the world. It also left me with the desire to return, not as an outsider looking in, but as a filmmaker committed to telling another story from inside. Papua New Guinea itself.”

He added: “‘Mussau: The First Song’ is that return. The film celebrates the richness of Papua New Guinea’s indigenous cultures – their languages, rituals, music, landscapes and traditions – with authenticity and respect. As a filmmaker, I have always been drawn to the stories of people who live on the margins of history, whose lives reveal universal truths about humanity. Taula’s story belongs to that tradition.”

Tanimia said: “The story of Taula Lovovoa has lived on for generations through the oral traditions of Mussau. Bringing that story to the screen is both an honor and a responsibility.”

Imona added: “Our goal has been to balance historical authenticity with cinematic storytelling while remaining true to the history, culture and people of Mussau.”

Litau said: “Language is at the heart of this film. Preserving Mussau, Emira, Agarabi, Tok Pisin and English on screen is not just about authenticity: it is also about protecting an important part of Papua New Guinea’s cultural heritage for future generations.”

Filming on Mussau Island is scheduled for the end of September. The film is aimed at an international audience and is based on a chapter in Papua New Guinea’s history that has had little exposure beyond the country’s borders.