2017
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Joe Folau is a New Zealand-born actor of Tongan and Maori descent. He has appeared in films such as King Kong, The Other Side of Heaven and Brutal Lives, and TV shows such as Shortland Street and Filthy Rich.
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One of the pivotal decisions producers made was to be forthright about the church and not shy away from the fact that it was about a Latter-day Saint missionary. They intentionally used titles like “mission president,” the word “Mormon” and other terms. Missionaries didn’t wear black name tags in the 1950s, which may have helped the film to feel mo...
Davis thinks it was much easier to portray the Latter-day Saint faith on the big screen in 2001 than it is today. The landscape is much less friendly, he said. Back then, Disney looked at “The Other Side of Heaven” and said it was a “great coming of age story, a heartfelt, old fashioned, Walt Disney movie,” Davis said. “They put it out without a se...
The single scariest experience Davis had when promoting “The Other Side of Heaven” came when he was invited to show the movie to a film criticism class taught by Leonard Maltinat USC’s film school. “I knew I was not going to be walking into a family-friendly audience that was dying to see a faith-promoting film,” he said. “How in the world is this ...
Another factor that gave the movie credibility was the involvement of Anne Hathaway, who was just starting her career in the early 2000s but is now an Academy Award winner and among the world’s highest-paid actresses. Hathaway, who played Jean Groberg, had less screen time than actor Christopher Gorham, who played the main role of Elder John Grober...
“The Other Side of Heaven” was created more than 20 years ago with a budget of $7 million and good distribution. It would be interesting to see what a Latter-day Saint filmmaker could do with a compelling story and $150 million budget like “Top Gun: Maverick,” including top cinematographers, production designers, actors, composers and other experie...
He is assigned a native Tongan companion, Feki (Joe Folau). As a new missionary, he struggles with learning the language; he studies it intensely and learns more about Tongan culture. Groberg encounters a number of obstacles in his mission.
Production Company / Director Turtles Crossing / Dir: Steven Ramirez. Year. 2003. Production (Role) Tiga e le Iloa (Tuna Tala) Production Company / Director SF / Dir: Popo Lilo. Year. 2001. Production (Role) The Other Side of Heaven (Feki) Production Company / Director 3Mark Entertainment / Dir: Mitch Davis.
Jul 17, 2020 · A Pacific director and producer have joined forces again to produce the first Tongan bilingual drama web series funded by New Zealand On Air as part of its Pasifika and Asian Storytellers Initiative.
With Joe Folau, Ilaisaane Green, 'Aisea Latu, Haanz Fa'avae-Jackson. Former prize-fighter, Soane 'The Shark' Valu is forced to return home after 20 years when his father dies. He must now face his three children he left behind and uncover the truth behind an ancestor's curse.
Mar 7, 2018 · Joe Folau (Feki), Elder John H. Groberg, and Christopher Gorham (Young Elder Groberg) on the set of the original "The Other Side of Heaven" in New Zealand. Folau and Gorham will both reprise their roles in "The Other Side of Heaven II."
