TANGATA PAI (GOOD PEOPLE) – Part 1

Sponsored by:

TANGATA PAI is a gripping limited series from producers Kiel McNaughton and Kerry Warkia—the acclaimed team behind Waru, Vai, and Kāinga—developed through the CAPE Showrunner Incubator and produced by Brown Sugar Apple Grunt Productions.

Set in the heart of Aotearoa, a Māori land occupation at Puke Ariki ignites a volatile clash between activists, police, politicians, and whānau. Five lives intersect in a single, harrowing hour: Willa, a rising Māori musician wrestling with her whakapapa; Miki, an activist father protecting his son; Adrian, a Chinese-Kiwi cop torn between duty and identity; Ahorangi, a government minister balancing tradition and politics; and Hinewai, a nurse sacrificing everything for her people.

At times, echoing the relentless pacing of 24, each episode follows one character for eight minutes as their stories converge toward a devastating terrorist attack that will forever scar their community. The result is a thrilling, social commentary on Kiwi issues that are very relatable and weaves into Native Sovereignty movements, corporate greed, local, provincial politics, and mental health.

HIFF is honored to present the entire series in two parts (Part 1=Episodes 1-4; Part 2=Episodes 5-8) that showcases the exceptional work of McNaughton and Warkia in their continuing pursuits for narrative sovereignty and Pasifika stories in mainstream entertainment.