- As a note to inspire the next generation, Samoan born Kas Futialo aka Tha Feelstyle, pioneering Samoan Hip Hop artist, reflects on the 4 elements influencing his life journey that meet at The Crossroads: Le Magafa.
- The two worlds of rapper Kas Tha Feelstyle Futialo intersect in this lyrical depiction of the influences on his life. In the intermingling of Western Hip Hop and Samoan culture we find a place where similarities are strengthened and music flows. Kas Futialo, a.k.a. 'Tha Feelstyle', is a multi-award winning music artist who has been at the forefront of Aotearoa and Pacific hip hop over the past thirty-years. This lyrical depiction of the influences which have shaped Kas's life gives shape and form to an outlook refusing to stick to the status quo. From hip hop to ancient oratory chants, suburban Auckland to Samoa, we experience what it means to be Tha Feelstyle as we follow Kas to the place where the crossroads of his life intersect.—Notable Pictures
- With the hope to inspire, The Crossroads: Le Magafa is the story of Samoan born award winning hip hop artist Kas Futialo aka Tha Feelstyle. These are his reflections on the 4 elements which have influenced his life journey and his desire to take his music, language and culture to the world stage.
The film is set in Faleasi'u village in Samoa at the centre of what used to be the largest coconut plantation on the island of Upolu. It is also set in various crossroads in the municipality of Apia and in the village of Letogo.
The first scene of the film introduces the view of Samoa over the 'uta' (inland) of Faleasi'u village where we see a connecting crossroad.
We are then thrown into landing at Faleolo Airport further along the coast and meet the 'Everyday Kas' as he exits a Samoa Airways plane onto the tarmac where he kisses the ground in recognition of his return to his homeland.
We are then introduced to various images of desolate, empty crossroads at various locations.
This is where we see Young Kas sitting at a crossroad, a place he would often visit to collect his thoughts and where he would dream of the world outside, a place to achieve great things.
The two Kas's (young and old) intersect at this point as Young Kas ponders on the world and Everyday Kas searches to find the place where he can find solitude and guidance as he searches to find himself.
We then meet the other 3 sides of Kas's inner-self; 'Spiritual Kas', 'Cultural Kas' and 'Creative Kas'. Having four-elements is reflective of the 4-elements of hip hop, the four roads of a crossroad but also representative of past, present, future and the neutral meeting point of time and space.
Suddenly we are thrown into the scene of a magnificent church (the Church of the Immaculate Conception on Beach Rd in downtown Apia). Here, Young Kas further considers the questions of life and Everyday Kas reflects on the significance of the words of his ancestors and the imagery suggests some questioning of the foreign religion now so ingrained in Samoan culture - Christianity.
We then see Young Kas as he walks past a couple of tourists who are buying plastic flowers off young (underaged) street hawkers. Everyday Kas (in narrative voice over) suggests that sometimes we need to look up to reveal the truth. He then challenges the viewer to "Imagine" and we are thrown into a collage of his own career successes, triumphs and a very special meeting with the Prime Minister of Samoa (Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi) whereby he gifts a music award to 'his beloved country' and even gets a hug out of the PM.
We are then thrown into the earlier scene where the four Kas's have met at the Crossroad. Here they face each and present aspects of their own representative character (in Samoan and heard as their inner thoughts.
Young Kas in the story is travelling from rural settings towards urban city-scape and the corresponding imagery of the scenes around him at each part make evident the every day Samoa. This is contrary to the Samoa presented in tourist guides in that the streets and crossroads presented during his journey are either desolate rural roads or busy, dusty city streets.
Older 'Every Day Kas' is also on a journey, a journey of reflection, philosophy and self-discovery.
In a stand-off reminiscent of the final gunfight in Sergio Leone's 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly' or Akira Kurosawa's 'Yojimbo', the Four Kas's face each other to see who will be Kas' dominant personality. Which side of Kas will win the day, or, are they all destined to be the downfall of each other? Find out by watching - 'The Crossroads: Le Magafa...
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