Conor Lui

Storytelling and critical thinking skills honed in Pacific Studies courses form the foundation of Conor’s work as a freelance filmmaker.

I chose Pacific Studies because I wanted to learn more about my Pacific heritage. My older brother and sister both took Pacific Studies and spoke very highly of it. Being half Niuean I was drawn to Pacific Studies for both the rich knowledge I would gain and also the family environment of working with fellow Pacific students and staff. My lecturers Dr April Henderson and the late Dr Teresia Teaiwa, along with the many other Pacific Studies staff, were huge inspirations for me and they always challenged me throughout my studies. I am also passionate about filmmaking and really enjoyed English literature at high school, so I also majored in Film Studies.

My studies sharpened my analytical skills, broadened my perspectives, and taught me to think critically. I was able to hone my research and writing skills, and to express my thoughts clearly. I also gained a huge amount of people skills, was forced to come out of my shell, and gained a new confidence through group work, presentations, and performances.

Initially I worked at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington as a liaison officer for Pacific and Māori first-year students, a role I was encouraged to go for by another great academic mentor of mine, Alice Te Punga Somerville. Since then, I’ve worked in a variety of jobs, almost all leaning towards filmmaking and video. I helped manage the Light House Cinema Cuba, worked at Weta Workshop, and worked for two years in Germany at a film website on the social media team and as a video editor. I’ve been a freelance videographer and I worked at Wrestler, a creative storytelling agency in Wellington, as a video editor and director of photography. We created commercials, brand videos, and unique stories through documentaries, online videos, and virtual reality. The Wrestler fānau really helped shape my career in the creative industry and provided an amazing environment to grow as a filmmaker.

My Pacific Studies background enables me to bring Pacific connections into my workplace and into the film and video industry. My aim is to work with more Pacific creatives in this space and also to grow the number of Pacific youth in the industry. The reading, research, and writing across all subjects helped develop my storytelling, which I use in my current filmmaking and video work today. Studying is hard but rewarding; often we are too embarrassed or shy to ask for help. Sometimes we need help paddling our vaka in the right direction.

I’m currently based in London working as a freelance filmmaker and video artist. I’ve been lucky to work with some large brands and agencies here including M&C Saatchi and Prism Sport and Entertainment. Alongside commercial work I’m also working on other creative projects including music videos, dance films, and video installations. My aim is to continue using film to share our rich Pacific culture with a wider audience in the UK and Europe.