Tinā, meaning ‘Mother’ in Samoan, is the story of Samoan teacher Mareta Percival. Struggling after the death of her daughter in the Christchurch earthquakes, Mareta reluctantly takes on the role of substitute teacher at an elite, wealthy private school and is surprised to find children crying out for guidance, inspiration, and love. Using the symphony of her culture to empower her students, she forms a choir, bringing them together while unexpectedly rediscovering her passion for being a teacher and mother.

Anapela Polataivao gifts an incredibly special performance, who at last gets her leading actress feature film debut after many years of excellent supporting role work on screen, and powerful, community-building theatre-making off-screen. And Beulah Koale backs her up in a gorgeous supporting role, which is its own piece of a healing puzzle for director Miki Magasiva. This knowledge adds yet another layer to what’s, on the surface, a lovely film about art as medicine, but contains multitudes.

Rating

M

Duration

124 MINS