Henri Hiro

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. "Henri Hiro, feu la lumière" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 9 March 2020. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  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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