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The Jonah We Never Knew: Vea Mafile'o on the Making of 'LOMU'
Sport Nation •  August 12th, 2026 12:22 pm
Jonah Lomu | Photo: Photosport
A new feature-length documentary promises to show the world a side of All Blacks legend Jonah Lomu that has remained entirely out of the public eye - until now.
Sport Nation hosts Mark Stafford and Anthony Gelling were joined in the studio by Vea Mafile'o, the co-director of LOMU.
For Mafile'o, bringing this story to the big screen was a monumental five-year journey - one driven by a desire to honor a global icon while finally celebrating his deep Tongan roots.
"As a Tongan, I had always felt that we had never had the opportunity to really celebrate him or acknowledge him properly," Mafile'o explained.
"For me, it was always about getting to understand him... but also give that space where we could say, 'Hey, we actually had this superstar,' and do some celebration around that."
Jonah Lomu thanks the Eden Park crowd after the Blues won the 1996 Super Rugby final 45-21 vs the Sharks | Photo: Photosport
While Lomu's exploits on the rugby field are permanently etched into New Zealand's sporting history, LOMU shifts the lens away from the pitch and into the family home. The turning point for the production came through Jonah's younger brother, John, who had amassed a staggering collection of private family footage.
"John had started to collect a treasure trove of family archives," Mafile'o revealed. "It is very bizarre that back then they even had a camera. I trawled through over 150 VCR tapes to find these diamonds in the rough."
This unseen footage anchors the film, capturing Lomu in moments of raw vulnerability. Mafile'o highlighted one particularly emotional piece of footage showing a 15-year-old Jonah crying during a family trip back to Tonga - a stark contrast to the immovable, larger-than-life figure he would soon become on the world stage.
Jonah Lomu | Photo: Chris Skelton/Photosport
For fans expecting a 30 For 30-style sports breakdown, LOMU offers something far more profound. The documentary deliberately steps away from the statistics and the fame to focus on the human being, ensuring that Lomu's mother and family finally get their moment to tell his story.
"This isn't a sports documentary made by ESPN; it doesn't focus as much on the rugby, it's much more about the life behind the scenes," Mafile'o noted, suggesting the film is a masterclass in empathy and cultural understanding.
While the film does not shy away from the tragedies and complications of Lomu's life, including his battle with a rare kidney condition, it ultimately serves as a deeply humanising portrait of a man who carried the weight of a nation - and the world - on his shoulders.
LOMU arrives in major cinemas across New Zealand on September 3rd.
Watch the full interview via the Sport Nation YouTube below:
