(I
am the Good Fairy)
A Full Length Feature Film in Marshallese
with English Subtitles
Opening song of Ņa Noniep, Latuma
(mp3), performed by Lulani Ritok, Kery
Ann Lejjena,
Carly Ann Note & Cinderella Lajidrik
Song used in Ņa Noniep written by Larry
Long performed by Lulani Ritok, Kery Ann
Lejjena,
Carly Ann Note & Cinderella Lajidrik, Freedom, Oh Freedom (mp3)
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Praise for Ņa Noniep (I am the Good Fairy)
"It was
thrilling to see a film that
was conceptualized, written,
cast, filmed and edited in
the Marshall Islands
with a Marshallese cast and
spoken mainly in Marshallese
language with English
subtitles...
Marshallese kids can now see
that their lives and reality
are worthy of exploration in
film..."
--Dartmouth College
Professor Andrew Garrod
"I thought
it was wonderfully
entertaining with a strong
moral message. It is a good
example
of how to educate and
maintain Marshallese
culture... All in all an
uplifting movie
that should nurture a sense
of pride and self-worth
among the Marshallese
people, and anyone
interested
in fostering principles for
a more tolerant and caring
society..."
--United States Ambassador
to the Marshall Islands,
Clyde Bishop
"I hope
that Morning Comes So Soon
and Ņa Noniep inspire some
Marshallese to tell their
own stories
and let the world see the
depth of insight and talent
that the Marshallese people
have to offer... I feel
encouraged that filmmaking
in the Marshall Islands is
continuing..."
--Aaron Condon, Director and
Producer of "Morning Comes
So Soon"
"Ņa Noniep
is the film drawing the
crowds..."
--The Marshall Islands
Journal, March 13, 2009
"Wow,
elukkun emman bwebwenato
eo!"
(Wow, what a great story!)
--Bruce Capelle, A Marshall
Islander living in
Springdale, Arkansas, April
25, 2009
"I
told some of my
Marshallese friends to
come and watch Ņa Noniep
at my house...
My place was packed worse
than the Superbowl!"
--Herbie Lorennij Jeik, a
Marshall Islander living in
Providence, RI, May 7, 2009
Radio Australia Radio Program (mp3) with interviews regarding the film, Ņa Noniep, March 3, 2009
Radio New Zealand (mp3) interview, March 13, 2009
Marianas Variety Review, March 16, 2009
Listen
to a
Marshallese
song about the
movie, Ņa
Noniep:
"Won Kwe Ijene"
by a group
from Ebeye,
Marshall
Islands, "Enno
Ta." Sung by
Josenia Judah.
Nominated
for "Best
International
Feature Film"
at the August
2009
International
Youth Film
Festival in
the United
Kingdom
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A new feature film made in the Marshall Islands, performed by island residents, and produced to support local education, interweaves Marshallese folklore with the challenges faced by youth in the islands today. Ņa Noniep deals with the spiritual
battle between a ri-anijnij (an evil
Marshallese maker of black magic) and a
noniep (a Marshallese fairy-like
creature) for the soul of a 13-year old
boy, Liki. His goal is to attend high school in America. Through no fault of his own, after a serious car accident involving his father and the family of his best friend, Miko, Liki finds his life threatened by Miko's evil grandmother, Lijimu, who is a woman known throughout the islands as a horribly diabolical maker of black magic. Lijimu casts a spell on Liki, and this drives the unusually nice, polite and studious boy, insane. Only the noniep can help him, but first the noniep must overcome the enormous power of the evil Lijimu. This enchanting battle is waged before the eyes of the boy's parents, Tomi and Delia, his best friend Miko, and his classmates who are all powerless to help him as he descends into a hellish existence. They are forced to watch as Liki deteriorates at an alarmingly rapid pace fighting an illness that no doctor or hospital can cure. The Marshallese language film, with English subtitles, stars Randon Jack, Lulani Ritok, Kyle Trevor, Netha Gideon, Matiti Johnson, Alson Kelen and Sarah Enyeart. All of the music in the film was performed by four eighth-grade girls -- Kery Ann Lejjena, Carly Ann Note, Lulani Note and Cinderella Lajidrik -- from the Majuro Cooperative School (MCS), a private, secular school presently serving grades pre-K through 9th. The film was written, directed and produced by Jack Niedenthal. Suzanne Chutaro served as assistant producer and director. All proceeds from Ņa Noniep will go the Majuro Cooperative School. The movie opened to the public at the 3-plex K & K Theaters, in Majuro, on March 6, 2009, and ran for 2 weeks, ending on March 19, 2009. The film is dedicated to the late Mayor of Bikini Atoll, Kataejar Jibas, who died on October 2, 2008, from injuries resulting from a car accident, and to the late SGT Solomon T. Sam, who was the first Marshallese soldier killed in Iraq on December 8, 2008. Microwave Films of the Marshall Islands is a community based film production company in the Marshall Islands. Contact Jack Niedenthal with questions about Microwave Films of the Marshall Islands and Ņa Noniep: info@microwavefilms.org |
Scenes from the film
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Randon Jack stars as Liki |
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Netha Gideon (left) stars as Lijimu, Lulani Ritok stars as Miko |
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Kyle Trevor stars as the noniep. |
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Alson Kelen (left) stars as Tomi, Liki's father, and Matiti Johnson stars as Delia, Liki's mother |
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Matiti Johnson as Delia, Liki's mother |
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Hesa Note stars as Miko's brother, Ben Chutaro stars as Miko's father, and Rosania Bennett stars as Miko's mother |
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Douglas Henry stars as Miko's Uncle Bodi |
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Wyre Kimej stars as Jacob, an old friend of Delia's |
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Sarah Enyeart (left) stars as Ms. Rhonda, Liki's teacher, and Kathy Stratte stars as Ms. Starling, the school principal |
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Tatina Peter, Kery Ann Lejjena and Denisa Momotaro star as the Playground Girls |
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Maxter Tarkwon stars as the baby noniep |
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Jack Niedenthal stars as The Man in the Black Car |
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Pele Levy-Strauss stars as the Takeout Girl |
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Lulani Ritok (pictured), Kery Ann Lejjena, Carly Ann Note and Cinderella Lajidrik provided the music for the film |
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Netha Gideon stars as Lijimu |
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Wyre Kimej stars as Jacob and Catlina Chutaro stars as his granddaughter |
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Co-op Students pose with movie poster in front of K & K Theater on Opening Night, March 5, 2009 |
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K & K Theater on Opening Night, March 5, 2009 |
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Opening Night (Left to Right): Randon Jack, Lulani Ritok, Kyle Trevor and Netha Gideon |
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First public Ņa Noniep showings selling out K & K Theaters, Sunday, March 8, 2009. |
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Jack filming scene at the Majuro Cooperative School |
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Filming at "Miko's house" |
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Ņa Noniep was written,
directed and produced by Jack Niedenthal,
with assistance from Suzanne Chutaro.
Contact Jack with questions about the film: bikinijack@gmail.com
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