Atu-Mai: Modeling Healthy Relationships

Five Le Va staff members share personal stories about family, role models, and respectful relationships for the Atu-Mai violence prevention program. These videos model healthy norms and demonstrate Pasifika values in action.

Atu-Mai equips Pasifika people and their families with the right knowledge and tools to live violence free. By having staff share their own experiences, the campaign creates authentic connection and shows what respectful relationships look like in practice.

The project

This project required creating a safe, calm environment where staff members, many filming for the first time, could share vulnerable personal stories. The brief was to capture authentic responses about family traditions, role models, childhood safety, and relationship values.

The challenge was building trust quickly. Talking about violence prevention means talking about difficult topics. But by framing questions around positive experiences and role models, we created space for genuine reflection without forcing trauma narratives.

All five videos were filmed in a studio environment in one day. Studio setup allowed for consistent lighting, controlled sound, and the calm atmosphere needed for first time on camera subjects to feel comfortable. Each staff member had time to settle in, do warmup exercises, and find their voice.

The result was remarkable. Real, genuine answers. Great visuals. Staff members sharing their truth with warmth and authenticity. These videos now serve as educational content for Atu-Mai's social media, website, presentations, and community resources.

The five questions

Each staff member answered the same five questions, allowing their responses to be edited thematically across the team:

• What is your favorite family tradition? What makes it special?
• Who has been a good role model for you around respectful relationships?
• Who made you feel safe and nurtured when you were a child? What did they do?
• What do you wish you were taught about relationships when you were younger?
• How do you best nurture respectful relationships with loved ones?

These questions focus on positive examples rather than negative experiences. They invite reflection on what worked, what helped, what we learned from people who got it right. This approach aligns with Atu-Mai's prevention model: build on strengths, model healthy norms, show what's possible.

Why it worked

First time authenticity. Many staff had never been on camera before. That nervous energy translated into genuine, unpolished honesty. No media training meant no corporate speak. Just real people sharing real experiences.

Cultural safety. Le Va is a Pasifika organization. The staff understand the values they're modeling. The questions were designed with cultural competency built in. This wasn't external filmmakers trying to extract Pacific stories, it was Pacific staff sharing their own.

Studio as safe space. Controlled environment meant no weather concerns, no background noise, no public exposure. Staff could focus entirely on the conversation. The studio became a calm space for vulnerable sharing.

Thematic editing approach. By filming all five staff with the same questions, the editing could weave their answers together. One person starts a thought, another continues it, a third offers a different perspective. The result feels like community conversation rather than individual testimonials.

The outcome

Five videos that demonstrate healthy relationships through staff lived experience. Content that serves multiple purposes: social media education, community presentations, training resources, website content, and promotional materials.

More importantly, videos that feel real. Audiences trust authentic stories over scripted messaging. By having staff model vulnerability and share genuine experiences, Atu-Mai creates permission for communities to have similar conversations.

The videos reached youth aged 16 to 24, men, parents, and community members across Aotearoa. They demonstrate that violence prevention starts with positive modeling of healthy relationships, safety, and respect.

Credits

• Director, Director of Photography, Editor, Post Production: Diego Opatowski
• Client: Le Va (Atu-Mai violence prevention program)
• Media Lead: Sara Vui-Talitu
• Featured staff: Paul, Sara, Hidoria, Charles, Taeao
• Filming: One day, studio environment
• Five thematic videos delivered for social media, website, presentations, and resources