Guma Higgai – Healing Our Canoe House Selected for Suva International Short Film Festival

Saipan, Mariana Islands — September 2025 – The short documentary Guma Higgai – Healing Our Canoe House has been officially selected at the Suva International Short Film Festival (SISFF 2025) in Fiji, taking place from 11–13 September 2025.

Guma Higgai will be showcased during the Pacific Film Night on 12 September, a signature evening dedicated to celebrating stories from across Oceania.

Directed by videographer Mark Sonoda, with executive producers Sheila Babauta and Dr. Sylvia Frain, Guma Higgai – Healing Our Canoe House offers a cinematic portrait of Saipan’s Guma Higgai—a traditional canoe house that serves as a sacred space for carving, teaching, gathering, and passing on seafaring knowledge.

The film captures the process of repairing the canoe house roof through the grant entitled 'Adalak in the Utt: Reciprocal Systems & Weaving Community Connections,' supported by the NDN Collective. Through the voices of navigators, apprentices, and community members, Guma Higgai highlights the restoration of the roof using natural materials and traditional weaving knowledge. More than a story of repair, the film is a testament to cultural resistance, oceanic resilience, and the healing power of heritage.

“This selection is not only a recognition of our film, but also of the strength and endurance of the Mariana Islands’ seafaring traditions,” said Executive Producer Sheila Babauta. “We are grateful to share this story of sovereignty, survival, and community healing with audiences across the Pacific.”

The Suva International Short Film Festival is one of the Pacific’s leading showcases for short-form storytelling, celebrating the magic of storytelling on screen and bringing together filmmakers and audiences to honor creativity and amplify voices from across the region.

Guma Higgai – Healing Our Canoe House will join a lineup of films that celebrate resilience, identity, and creativity at SISFF 2025.

Film Synopsis:

On the island of Saipan, beneath the weathered beams of the Guma Higgai, an ancient rhythm beats back against time. This is a living legacy and sacred gathering place where canoes are carved, languages are spoken, and futures are imagined. Yet this cultural center is under threat—from climate change, super typhoons, and neglect.

Through community voices, the film documents the restoration of the canoe house roof using traditional methods, revealing that seafaring traditions are not only an art form but also acts of sovereignty, resistance, and survival. Guma Higgai – Healing Our Canoe House invites audiences to witness how one community navigates the tides of change while steering toward a future rooted in heritage, memory, and movement.

These efforts were led by Samisoni Pome’e, Lead Project Coordinator – Weaver and team (Jason Atalig, Floyd Mangarero, and Rodney Norita), and the Seafaring Traditions Program: Preserving, Promoting, and Perpetuating under the guidance of Antonio (Tony) Uremeyang Piailug, master navigator, and son of Papa Mau; John Castro, canoe builder and program coordinator; Jason Aldan, tradesman; and Tyler Warwick, tradesman. The Seafaring Traditions Program is supported by the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs Office, Commonwealth Council for Arts & Culture, and the Indigenous Affairs Office.

About the Filmmakers: Executive Producers: Sheila Babauta & Sylvia Frain. Videographer: Mark Sonoda. Audiences and supporters are encouraged to engage on social media: Facebook: @FilmFiji, Instagram: @filmfiji.