TINĀ

 

“Who can tell me what choir’s about?”

Powerful, beautiful and tender, TINĀ is a tear jerking, heart warming and deeply genuine underdog story of a determined woman and her sensitive heart that transforms a private school choir into a found family full of love and joy in the face of hardship and sorrow. 

Discussion Points:

What do you get when you combine CODA, Sister Act, Dead Poets Society and Mr Holland’s Opus in a Kiwi filmmaking blender? You get TINĀ - a tender, tear jerking triumph about the impact that tremendous teachers have when they help their students find their voice - in this case very literally. Anapela Polataivao delivers a  phenomenal performance as the maternal Mareta Percival, a proud Samoan woman, grieving the lose of her daughter and coming to terms with her life circumstances. When she inexplicably is employed at a conservative pākahā private school in Christchurch, her unorthodox methods and desire to start a school choir quickly put her in conflict with the privileged, pompous and rugby-obsessed board. But her band of driven students led by four key standouts: Antonia Robinson as soft-spoken songstress Sophie; Zac O’Meagher as stoic jock with a heart of gold Anthony; Talia Pua as confrontational but caring Mei-Ling and Taylor Meihana Rogers as spunky good girl June - rally together to form a choir that trusts each other and supports one another, even without the backing of their school. The end result is absolutely breathtaking and filled with moments that will make you cry from beginning to end. Ultimately, TINĀ is endlessly emotional and earns every tear in a terrific film with heartfelt performances and stunning choral pieces. What an absolute triumph!