Movies Similar to When the Man Went South

Paradise Island(1930)

The south sea island Tonga is full of plantations and scoundrels. Ellen Bradford arrives expecting marriage to respectable and successful plantation owner only to find he is a drunk and gambler. Being the only white woman she is the desire of scoundrels and cut-throats.

3.3

The Other Side of Heaven(2001)

John H. Groberg, a middle class kid from Idaho Falls, crosses the Pacific to become a Mormon missionary in the remote and exotic Tongan island kingdom during the 1950's. He leaves behind a loving family and the true love of his life, Jean. Through letters and musings across the miles, John shares his humbling and sometimes hilarious adventures with "the girl back home", and her letters buoy up his spirits in difficult times. John must struggle to overcome language barriers, physical hardship and deep-rooted suspicion to earn the trust and love of the Tongan people he has come to serve. Throughout his adventure-filled three years on the islands, he discovers friends and wisdom in the most unlikely places. John H. Groberg's Tongan odyssey will change his life forever.

6.2

The Legend of Baron To'a(2020)

‘The Legend of Baron To’a’ tells the story of Fritz, a Tongan entrepreneur who returns to his old neighbourhood and inadvertently causes the theft of his late father’s valued pro wrestling title belt by some ruthless gangsters led by ‘man-mountain’ Tahu. When negotiation and diplomacy fail to get it back, he is forced to embrace his father’s legacy to reclaim the title.

6.8

Tides of Tradition: The Life of Colonel Kong(2024)

Robert Kongaika runs from his family to join the military and becomes the first Tongan US Air Force Colonel. This is the true story of the island traditions, faith, and family that made him into the father he is today.

0.0

Dame Valerie Adams: More Than Gold(2022)

Olympic Champion, Kiwi Icon, Tongan Leader, Orphan, Mother...winning was just part of the journey.

7.0

You, the Choice of My Parents(2019)

A poetic journey through the life of a woman going through an arranged marriage, animated on traditional Tongan Cloth called Ngatu.

0.0

Leitis in Waiting(2018)

The story of Joey Mataele and the Tonga Leitis, an intrepid group of transgender women fighting a rising tide of religious fundamentalism and intolerance in the South Pacific Kingdom.

1.0

Polynesia in America(1960)

A look at the then brand-new Polynesian Cultural Center in Oahu, Hawaii . Established by the Mormons, the Center attempts to explain the indigenous cultures of Polynesia, New Zealand, Tonga, Fiji, Samoa, Tahiti, and Hawaii.

0.0

Hiko in Tonga: A Culture almost Lost(2019)

A multi-generational film of a unique, vanishing culture of Polynesian women jugglers in The Kingdom of Tonga.

0.0

Read Between the Lines(2022)

A socially-anxious college student makes multiple attempts to ask out the bookstore clerk that he has a crush on.

5.6

The Boy(2025)

Actress-director Zabou Breitman embarks on an unusual adventure: imagining the life of a boy discovered in an old photo from an album bought at a flea market. These are the images and memories of an unknown family, which somehow feel familiar. At the center is the boy, with his gaze that is both gentle and melancholic yet joyful. Who is he? What is his true story, the one that unfolds between the lines? What if every individual were also the unwitting hero of a tale? This dizzying family investigation blurs the lines between reality and fiction, sometimes merging them completely.

7.5

The World Upside Down(2024)

A Parisian trader who – after losing everything – is forced to take refuge on a country farm with his wife and child.

5.2

Meet the Leroys(2024)

A man takes his wife and their teenage children on a road trip down memory lane while facing divorce.

6.2

All Because of the Cat(2023)

Laure and Daniel welcome their friends for the yearly holidays in their country home, but their cat’s disappearance soon makes old secrets resurface.

5.7

And Yet We Were All Blind(2023)

Who has never heard of pregnancy denial? This condition, often caused by miscellaneous circumstances, escapes our understanding and even science. How can the mind of a pregnant woman hide a child growing in her body?

5.4

Mariana's Sandwich(2014)

Ten year old Mariana is bullied at school, and her main tormentor is Isabel, only 3 years her senior. One day, Mariana gets up the courage to follow Isabel home and discovers something unexpected.

3.0

The Seats of the Mighty(1914)

A story of treachery and intrigue, with the outcome of the story contingent upon a packet of "secret papers."

0.0

Un petit miracle(2023)

Nothing goes well for Juliette! The school where she used to teach has burned down, and her unique class will have to be dispatched to the four corners of the department. To avoid this, she proposes a surprising solution: to install her class at the Poppies, the local old people's home, the only place that can accommodate them for the time of the work. For the children as well as for the residents, the cohabitation will not be easy, but will transform them forever. Inspired by a true story.

5.9