TITLE: Te Farereira’a, the gathering

Until 1989, the Austral Islands in Polynesia organised a festival bringing together the inhabitants of the archipelago's five islands. The event was then put on hold until November 2022. Te Farereira’a brought together nearly 500 people for five days at the Taahueia stadium in Tubuai.
Each of the Polynesian archipelagos has its own personality and characteristics in terms of dance and song, language (seven languages have been identified, not counting variants and dialects), art and culture. These characteristics are closely linked to their geography, environment and history.
What at first glance and from 15,000 kilometres away appears to be a uniform territory is, in reality, ‘a sea of islands’, to quote the Tongan thinker Epeli Hau'ofa. On closer inspection, each island has its own unique characteristics and world view. Here's the proof.
This subject is a series of portraits taken during a cultural festival in the Austral Islands. The people photographed, who live in Rurutu, Tubuai, Rapa, Raivavae and Rimatara, agreed to be photographed before going on stage or after coming off stage, in traditional costume. No constraints were imposed; each person was free to choose their pose, the composition of the group and their accessories.
No constraints were imposed; each person was free to choose their pose, the composition of the group and their accessories.
The dancers, singers, choreographers and musicians posed with confidence, simplicity and authenticity. They are witnesses to a culture that is anything but folkloric.
A makeshift studio – a stretched sheet and two lights – was set up behind the scenes, on the spur of the moment, to capture rare, precious moments rich in mixed emotions.
This series of portraits is the first step in a long-term documentary project on the cultural expression of the Polynesian archipelagos.

AUTHOR: gregory boissy (French Polynesia)

I first discovered French Polynesia in 1994, before settling there permanently in 2006. My work is primarily editorial and intended for publication in the press.
I am a founding member of IP3 PRESS, a Paris-based photo news agency created in 2005. From 2006 to 2019, I was the photo correspondent for Agence France Presse – Getty Images in Polynesia.
From 2006 to 2014, I was a photographer for Les Nouvelles de Tahiti. I collaborated with Tahiti Pacifique magazine in 2015 and 2016, and again from 2020 to 2023.
From 2020 to 2022, I was a photojournalist for Tahiti Infos.
Since 2006, I have also worked with the in-flight magazines of the Polynesian airlines Air Tahiti Nui and Air Tahiti, as well as with the Tahiti Tourism Agency and the Honuatere tourism magazine.