Thousands of people have gathered at Auckland’s Civic Theatre for the New Zealand premiere of the much awaited film, Tinā.
Directed by Miki Magasiva, the film was set in the immediate aftermath of the Christchurch Earthquake in 2011, and focused on grief, love, acceptance and the importance of community.
It featured music, hope, Samoan humour – and a cast of both well-known and up and coming stars.
The story follows mother and teacher Mareta, who while struggling after the death of her daughter in the earthquake, takes on a job as a teacher at a wealthy private school.
At the school, Mareta finds kids who need love and support, and connects with them – eventually sending them off to the Big Sing National Choir Competition.
“We’ve been working on this for about six years now … I always wanted to do a story that paid tribute to our mothers, especially in our Samoan culture where we hold our mothers in high esteem,” said Magasiva.
Actor Anapela Polataivao said the story was about Mareta’s journey to “finding some peace”.
Along with helping Magasiva through his own grief, the cast and crew were also hopeful audiences saw themselves reflected in the film.
“I have a lot of messaging about community and going together as a collective in the film, and that’s my perspective on how we can go forward into the future,” Magasiva added.
Tinā releases in New Zealand cinemas on February 27.
