Tinā

''Tinā'' is a 2024 New Zealand drama film written and directed by Miki Magasiva. It stars Anapela Polataivao as a dissatisfied substitute teacher, recently bereaved after the 2011 Christchurch earthquake killed her daughter. She begins to work at an elite private school and starts a student choir. The film premiered at the Hawaii International Film Festival on 8 October 2024, and was released in cinemas on 27 February 2025. This film marked Magasiva's directorial debut.

Plot

Samoan New Zealander Mareta Percival works as a teacher at a primary school in the low-income Christchurch suburb of Aranui. On the day of the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, Mareta's daughter auditions at the CTV Building and is killed during the earthquake. A grief-stricken Mareta loses her sense of purpose in life while struggling to cling to her Roman Catholic faith.

In 2014, her nephew and social worker Sio convinces Mareta to apply for a job as a substitute teacher at St Francis School, a largely Pākehā and rigidly conservative private school. Despite reservations from the school board, the retiring headmaster Alan Hubbard convinces them to hire Mareta as a substitute teacher. Since St Francis lacks a choir, Mareta convinces the school board to allow her to start one with herself as its choirmaster. Mareta also enlists the help of St Francis alumni and accomplished chorister Helen.

The choir attracts several students including Sophie, Anthony Bull, Mei-Ling and Luke. Despite their privileged upbringing, these students—particularly Sophie—struggle with personal traumas and insecurities. Hoping to set a record, Mareta decides to coach her students for the upcoming national Big Sing competition. As a choir, the students learn to work as a team. Seeing potential in Sophie, Mareta trains her as lead chorister. With the encouragement of her Catholic priest Father McAfee, the St Francis choir conducts their first performance at Mareta's Samoan church.

The St Francis choir attracts the jealousy of deputy principal Peter Wadsworth, who views them as a competitor to the school's elite rugby programme. Peter seeks every opportunity to undermine and sabotage Mareta and her choir. Tensions flare up after Anthony and Mei-Ling are embroiled in a fight with St Francis' rugby team. Mareta also encounters opposition from her former teaching colleague Rona, who regards the St Francis students as privileged and uppity. Sophie also leaves the choir after refusing to don a Samoan costume due to a disfiguring arm injury, forcing Mei-Ling to take a leadership role.

Despite these obstacles and her own terminal cancer condition, Mareta is determined to lead the choir to perform at the Big Sing competition. Under the pretext of declining school grades, Peter convinces the school board to pressure Mareta into ending the choir programme. Defying Peter, the St Francis choir participates in the semi-final and qualifies for the final competition. As a result, Mareta's teaching contract is terminated.

However, the choristers are still determined to participate in the final round of the Big Sing competition. Sophie returns to the St Francis choir and enlists her mother and board member Caroline's support. On the night of the competition, Mareta is hospitalised and succumbs to her cancerous condition. Inspired by her mentor, Sophie leads the St Francis choir, which wins the competition.

Cast

Production

Development

''Tinā'' was directed by Miki Magasiva, who also wrote the screenplay and served as a co-producer. This film marks his directorial debut. Zuzanna Biolik served as script supervisor and Annalise Holloway as script coordinator.

Filming

The film was a joint production between The Brown Factory and Tu Fa'atasi Films. It received funding from the New Zealand Film Commission, the New Zealand Screen Production Grant and NZ On Air. The film was shot on location between September and October 2023. Despite being set in Christchurch, it was also filmed in Auckland.

Other producers included Dan Higgins and Mario Gaoa, while Jamie Hilton and Victoria Dabbs served as co-producers. Gene Keelan served as line producer. Mike Dwyer served as casting director.

Andrew McGeorge served as cinematographer while Luke Haigh served as editor and Ana Miskell as production designer. Teuila Field served as first assistant director. Sacha Young served as costume designer while Vee Gulliver served as hair and makeup designer. Clare Burlington served as colourist.

Film score

The choir music was written and arranged by Tuilagi Dr. Igelese Ete, who previously worked on the ''Lord of the Rings'' trilogy and '' Moana''. Sebastien Pan served as composer while Anime Ramer served as music supervisor.

Release

Tinā premiered at the Hawaii International Film Festival on 8 October 2024, and in New Zealand at the Civic Theatre in Auckland on 11 February 2025.

The film received its general release on 27 February 2025. According to the New Zealand Film Commission, Tinā earned over NZ$1 million during its opening weekend. The film had the third biggest opening for a New Zealand movie, coming behind '' Hunt for the Wilderpeople'' and '' Sione's 2: Unfinished Business''. Tinā was released in 128 cinemas across New Zealand along with Papua New Guinea, the Cook Islands, Fiji and Samoa.

Reception

Karl Puschmann of ''The New Zealand Herald'' gave ''Tinā'' a positive review, praising the performances of Anapela Pola-tai-vao as the protagonist Mareta and Antonia Robinson as troubled student Sophie. Puschmann compared the film to similar underdog genre films such as Taika Waititi's '' Next Goal Wins'', Damon Fepulea'i's '' Red, White & Brass'', '' Pitch Perfect'' and '' School of Rock''. Puschmann also praised director-writer Miki Magasiva for balancing serious issues such as death, grief, suicide and terminal illness with moments of comic relief. He also liked Magasiva for focusing the film's story on the cultural clash between Mareta's Samoan background and the school's "snooty adults." Puschmann also praised the film's story progression.

Simon Morris of Radio New Zealand gave ''Tinā'' a positive review, writing that the film was "full of comedy, tragedy, conflict, inspiration and it has to be said, some generous dollops of schmaltz." He also praised director-writer Magasiva and Pola-tai-vao's portrayal of Mareta. Morris also liked the plot of Mareta bonding with uptight, rich Pākehā children particularly teenager Sophie through music.

'' The Spinoff'' editor Madeleine Chapman praised the performances of Pola-tai-vao, Robinson, and Beulah Koale. While Chapman said that Robinson was "given plenty to work with" through her character Sophie, she wrote that the writers could have "afforded to give her character more edge without losing her humanity." Chapman also described the film as a critique of elite private schools in New Zealand, describing the principal in waiting and the board chair as "villainous caricatures." She wrote that ''Tinā'' was marketed as a "deeply Pacific film where race and culture is at the heart of its story" but described its execution as a "classic tearjerker aimed at a predominantly Palagi ( European New Zealanders) audience."

References

{{reflist

New Zealand drama films
Films set in New Zealand
2020s New Zealand films
2011 Christchurch earthquake
2020s English-language films
Samoan-language films