Daughter’s documentary revisits Fiji’s colonial past through a personal lens

Over 25 people were given a first look at a new documentary titled Fiji Memory Colonial Time, which weaves a deeply personal narrative into a broader exploration of British colonialism’s legacy in Fiji.

Directed by American filmmaker Alexandra Lacey, the film follows the journey of her mother—a fourth-generation British colonial born in Fiji in 1925—as she retraces her roots in the island nation.

While the film begins with her mother’s return to Fiji, Lacey says it soon opens into a broader conversation featuring iTaukei, Indo-Fijians, and others whose lives have been shaped by the colonial past.

Through her mother’s evocative writings and vivid recollections, Lacey shares that she grew up with a vision of Fiji she had never seen—until she began working on the film.

She says her mother’s life became the doorway to exploring questions of identity, belonging, and how colonialism has shaped Fiji’s diverse communities.

Fiji Memory Colonial Time asks timely questions about the ongoing impact of historical power structures, displacement, and cultural legacy, and creates space for Fijians to share their lived experiences.

Lacey says the documentary is both a personal journey and a call for wider reflection and dialogue on the country’s colonial history.