Raiatua Brando, a name that combines glamour and sophistication of Hollywood and indigenous Polynesian islander. Raiatua is the story of a young woman whom fame, cultural heritage and family history are intertwined.
Born to world renowned actor Marlon Brando and Tahitian actress Tarita Teriipaia, Raiatua is a melting pot of two very different worlds fighting to find her place.
Early Life
Raiatua Brando was born in early 1980s in beautiful island of Tetiaroa in French Polynesia. [This private island bought by her father Marlon Brando in 1967] would be the setting of Raiatua’s childhood shooting movies in paradise like conditions and far away from Hollywood.
Raiatua, who always resided in Tetiaroa, said he was privileged to enjoy a rather extraordinary childhood. Her playground was the stunning island of clear white beaches, exotic green forests, and, of course, stunning clear lagoons.
This special kind of education gave her the opportunity to discover the way of natural and cultural values of the Polynesia and make her a part of the land and sea. On one hand, she grew up seeing the Tahitian way of life – her mother explained Tahitian customs and traditions to her and she was able to learn the language of the island.
Raiatua Brando, mother grows wiser and gradually comes to realize that she belongs to two worlds: Hollywood and Polynesia. These factors would define her lenses through which she would view the world and the decision she would make in life.
Career
Raiatua Brando has not followed the path of stardom like her famous father. Instead, she decided to continue the lifestyle that she grew up with on Tetiaro and her father’s interests in the later years.
One cannot easily find fresh and full information about Raiatua’s professional life but it is known that she has been active in environmental activism especially as far as the preservation of the fragile environment of Tetiaroa and another island Polynesia. It may be assumed that this work is based on understanding and love to the nature which was enriched during her childhood on the island.
Parents: Marlon Brando, Tarita Teriipaia
Marlon Brando, Raiatua’s father, was one of the greatest actors of the 20th century or possibly the all-time greatest. Brando was best known for his role in the movies like “The Godfather” and “A Streetcar Named Desire,” yet he was much more than a movie actor.
He was also an activist, environmentalist and a true lover of cultures, an anthropologist by all means. How, through the experience of identifying with the culture through Star’s purchases of Tetiaroa and his love and passion of Polynesian culture, is Raiatua’s youth and personal ethos defined.
Raiatua’s mother, Tarita Teriipaia, introduced Raiatou to the great and diverse world of Polynesian traditions. Born a Tarita Teripaia, she worked as an actress herself before meeting Marlon Brando on the set of “Mutiny on the Bounty” in the year 1960.
The real-life experience and personal background of this character was shaped by her roots in Tahitian culture as well as her understanding of the entertainment industry.
