Family, friends and fans celebrate Johan Lomu's untold story at emotional NZ documentary premiere

The New Zealand premiere of the documentary 'Lomu' brought family, friends, and fans together at Auckland's civic theatre to celebrate the life of rugby icon Jonah Lomu. The film offers an intimate look at the legendary All Black, sharing his story through the perspectives of his family, childhood friends, and closest colleagues. Never-before-seen home videos provide insight into Lomu's life off the field, behind closed doors.

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I felt so inspired, and to see his faith that he didn't give up regardless of his situation. I thought that was very admirable ... and as a Tongan, I'm so proud, and I'm so proud for Jonah to be celebrated in this way.

Hundreds of attendees at the New Zealand International Film Festival premiere were moved to tears, expressing pride and inspiration. One attendee shared, "I felt so inspired, and to see his faith that he didn't give up regardless of his situation. I thought that was very admirable ... and as a Tongan, I'm so proud." Others praised the film for its tasteful portrayal and its role in preserving and promoting Pacific culture.

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Basically, telling the story from our own family's perspective, because from the beginning it was never ours to keep, but also share with everybody else.

Jonah Lomu's younger brother, John Lomu, expressed his emotion at the overwhelming support, noting that the family had long dreamed of sharing Jonah's life story from their own perspective. He explained that the documentary provided a crucial way to digitize and preserve cherished family VHS tapes, preventing precious memories from being lost to time. Former All Black teammate Kevin Mealamu believes the documentary will help aspiring players understand the man behind the legend, inspiring future generations just as Lomu inspired him.

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It's awesome that we get to celebrate him. I think for a lot of our younger generation, they might know, but [on Saturday they got to see] a little bit more of who he was. So it's just great to be able to share that story.