TINĀ

HIFF is honored to kick off the 2024 festival with the world premiere of TINĀ. It''s an inspiring drama, a light-hearted, rhythmic tear-jerker, and 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, all-white private school and is surprised to find supposedly privileged children crying out for guidance, inspiration, and love. Using the symphony of her culture to empower her students, she forms a choir. Mareta has to inspire her kids all while dealing with bias from a privileged community keen to put this colorful Samoan teacher in her place. Samoan actor Anapela Polata’ivao (ONE THOUSAND ROPES, THE BREAKER UPPERERS) is brilliant in this nuanced drama that’s the directorial debut of Samoan-born and Aotearoa-based Miki Magavisa, who last graced HIFF with his work on the groundbreaking television series THE PANTHERS at HIFF 2021. HAWAII FIVE-O’s Beulah Koale turns in a great performance as Anapela’s hānai nephew that gently pushes her to teach at the school to restart her life.