The symphony of culture _{by Alessia Belsito-Riera}

Writer and director Miki Magasiva’s newest film Tinā is “drawn from a lifetime raised by strong Samoan women. With their resilience, wisdom, and deep connection to their culture, these leaders are the foundation of our community”, he says. “Through the shared human experiences of grief, identity, and mental and physical trauma, our protagonist’s journey of healing and rediscovery reflects the journeys undertaken by many of our women who navigate life's challenges with grace and determination”.

The idea was born six years ago after Magasiva was blown away by a performance he watched of Westlake Girls and Boys High School choirs. Tinā follows the story of Samoan teacher Mareta Percival who, struggling after the death of her daughter in the Christchurch earthquakes, takes on the role of substitute teacher at an elite private school. Surprised to find children crying out for guidance, inspiration, and love, she uses the symphony of her culture to form a choir, bringing them together while unexpectedly rediscovering her passion for being a teacher and mother.

The inspiring drama and light-hearted rhythmic tear-jerker stars Anapela Polataivao in the lead role, while her antagonist’s shoes are filled by Wellington actor Jamie Irvine. Playing headmaster Peter, Irvine was first drawn to this beautiful story’s relatability.

“I’ve been lucky to have had a couple of wonderful mentors in my life and this reminded me of those people. Being in the film was a chance to celebrate those relationships. The spirit on set, the kaupapa, all of that was amazing. I couldn’t wait to get to work every day and since being cast I’ve felt lucky to be a part of this film”.

Irvine says that his character provides most of the conflict for Mareta. “He represents an old way of doing things. He’s obsessed with tradition and preserving these elements within the institution and, ultimately, he enjoys being in a powerful position. Although Peter represents a lot of the institutionalised racism and prejudice that can exist in these places, being able to work opposite an actor as brilliant as Anapela Polataivao in those scenes was a bit of a bucket list moment for me”.

Nevertheless, Irvine didn’t mind playing the antagonist, as he feels lucky to be able to take roles like this one, that have great dialogue with real sparkle. “Being able to walk a mile in another person’s shoes through this work is an enormous privilege. I’m always learning about and exploring other people’s experiences, and I think this helps me a lot as a person as well”.

He knows Tinā will take audiences on an uplifting journey. “The mentoring relationship at the centre of this story is bittersweet and filled with hope,” Irvine says. “For me, it’s definitely about celebrating the mothers in our lives, but it’s also about coming together as a group and creating something that will live on. Music can do that; films can do that.”