New Zealand's official submission to the Best Foreign Language Film category of the 84th Academy Awards 2012.
Fa'afiaula Sagote who plays Saila was an actual taro farmer living on Savaii island when he was discovered for the role.
The Orator is the first feature film to be written, directed and acted by an all Samoan cast and all in the Samoan language.
Writer/director Tusi Tamasese wrote the script while doing an MA at Victoria University.
The New Zealand Film Commission and the Samoan government provided funding to film The Orator in Samoa. It was filmed on Upolu, the second largest of the Samoan islands.