Henri Hiro (1 January 1944 - 10 March 1990) was a poet, playwright and film director from French Polynesia. He was a pioneer of Polynesian poetry and theatre.[1]

Biography

Hiro was born on the island of Moorea. He studied theology in Montpellier and returned to Tahiti in 1972, but was not ordained a priest.[2] According to his vision he came from a colonized society and wanted to return to traditional Polynesian values, and he worked to promote the Tahitian language, as well as his own culture and identity.[3]

Hiro was also involved in the defense of the environment. He was one of the promoters of the association Ia ora te natura, and a leader of opposition to French nuclear testing.[4] In 1975, he joined Jacqui Drollet and Turo Raapoto to found Ia Mana Te Nunaa ("Power to the People"), a radical pro-independence party opposed to nuclear testing.[5]

In 1979 he made, together with Jean L'Hôte, his first film, Le Château, which deals with the loss of identity among young people in Tahiti. In Marae, from 1983, he recreated a traditional royal enthronement ceremony and Te ora, which Hiro made with Bruno Tetaria in 1988, is a song to Polynesian nature, presenting fifteen species of trees to children.[2] He also published two collections of poetry in Tahitian and mounted theatrical shows in which he integrated polyphonic songs, dances or traditional recitations.[6]

Hiro died in Huahine on 10 March 1990.[1]

Honours

Collège Henri Hiro in Faʻaʻā is named in his honour. In 2017 a poetry competition for school students was established in his honour.[7]

On the 20th anniversary of his death in 2010 the Maison de la Culture in Papeete held a series of exhibitions and film screenings.[8][9] On the 30th anniversary of his death in 2020 the Artistic Conservatory of French Polynesia held a series of poetry readings and unveiled a commemorative plaque.[10]

Publications

  • Pehepehe i taù nūnaa, Tupuna, 1985
  • Taaroa, OTAC, Tahiti, 1984.

Films

  • Le Château (1979)
  • Marae (1983),
  • Te ora (1988), television series written by Henri Hiro and produced by Bruno Tetaria; 15 films for children dedicated to different Polynesian trees.

References

  1. 1 2 "Henri Hiro, feu la lumière" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 9 March 2020. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  2. 1 2 "Henri Hiro, le poète". Archived from the original on 22 October 2012.
  3. ↑ "Henri Hiro, poète polynésien". 27 May 1979. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  4. ↑ "Militantisme antinucléaire : synthèse d'un long combat" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 28 September 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  5. ↑ "Le Ia Mana se souvient à l'aube de ses 40 ans" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 4 November 2015. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  6. ↑ Bruno Saura (2013). Tahiti Mā’ohi – Culture, identité, religion et nationalisme en Polynésie française. Au vent des îles.
  7. ↑ "Poètes et journalistes en herbe récompensés à Hao" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 20 June 2022. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  8. ↑ "Hommage à Henri Hiro, le poète engagé des années soixante-dix" (in French). Tahitipresse. 3 March 2010. Archived from the original on 24 February 2011.
  9. ↑ "Hommage à Henri Hiro ce soir à la Maison de la Culture" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 16 June 2010. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  10. ↑ "Célébration des 30 ans de la disparition d'Henri Hiro" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 4 March 2020. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
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