For over 20 years, Edith Amituanai has used photography to share the stories of Pasifika peoples in Auckland, home to one of the largest Polynesian diasporas in the world. As the daughter of Samoan immigrants, Amituanai belongs to this community, and she conveys a genuine warmth and affinity with her subjects and their environs in her work.

Epifania 2022 tells the story of Epifania Fa‘asavalu, a young Aotearoa New Zealand-born Pasifika matriarch. Framed as a dedication to The Rose That Grew from Concrete — a poetry collection by influential American rapper Tupac Shakur (1971–96) — the film presents Epifania’s narration of how she became the legal guardian of her younger siblings. By documenting her family’s story that alludes to poverty, domestic violence and mental illness, the artist emphasises broader issues and hardships experienced by many Pacific Islanders in Aotearoa. Amituanai’s sensitive depiction elevates Epifania’s profound love for her family, and the strength and resilience that connects Pasifika communities across the region.