Solutions to gender violence lack Pacific perspective

A Samoan filmmaker says anti-violence efforts fail Pacific people because they tackle the problem from a foreign perspective.

Galumalemana Steve Percival has produced three films on gender inequality in Samoa and brought his latest film on violence against women and girls to New Zealand.

He said he hoped the use of a proverb to title the film, Sisi le La'afa: Raise the Sennit Sail, would connect with Samoan people.

"One of the weaknesses as I see it, in the discourse on violence and ending violence is that it's most often tackled from the way foreigners try to explore the issues and the subject," he explained.

"So I, in all my film making, I always try to find something that has a very strong reference to the old culture of Samoa."

Steve Percival said he wanted the film to challenge Samoan people to rethink their ideas about gender roles.