Tina

This original and extremely moving story is set three years after the 2011 Christchurch earthquake when 185 people lost their lives. Tina, a teacher originally from Samoa, is traumatised after her daughter is killed in the earthquake. She is eventually persuaded back into employment, this time at an exclusive, and elite conservative private school. This is a major shift from her previous teaching post where she worked with underprivileged children. The movie explores themes of loss, resilience, race and culture. The sports/rugby culture vs the music/choir culture was a little formulaic, especially the typecast bully of a rugby coach. Aside from that small niggle, the film had plenty of laughs, but we also cried. The music was amazing. Here in New Zealand we are blessed with an internationally acclaimed reputation for choral excellence, and this was superbly showcased.

I was overwhelmed by Tina, it's depth, meaning and powerful performances. It's realism captures you from the start, we see a simple woman with a big heart who has seen so much loss in her life turn things around and move mountains when she takes up her new role in the school.

I found myself getting emotional a few times with the emotional rollercoaster we were taken on and how Tina connected with her students and gave them so much in a cold and sometimes ignorant world. I loved Tina's character of a person who called a spade a spade and called out bad behaviour as she saw it. She was real and you got the real thing with her. The final scene really got me as you could see the emotion shining through the students as they gave such a moving performance. This has to be one of the best NZ films I have seen and the best film I've seen so far this year, exceeded expectations.

Absolutely moving from start to finish.

Everything was acted incredibly. Anapela Polataivao was absolutely on point. Perfect timing for lines, perfect expressions, absolutely felt this powerhouse of strength. My friend looked to see if it was based on a true story - it wasn't, so I absolutely want to go and hunt down more from writer Miki Magasiva. Amazing story which flowed fantastically. Came out of it feeling at once sad and uplifted, angry at the system which is still so broken. Justice was not served for that community, but it made a difference in the lives of a couple of kids. Maybe that's all we can do - one mind at a time. Maybe that's not good enough.

This brought back so many memories and emotions from such a painful time. There's a particular weight that comes with stories rooted in real-life trauma, especially when they hit so close to home. For many of us who lived through the Christchurch earthquakes, whether directly or indirectly, the memory of that time is etched into our bones. This film doesn't shy away from that reality - instead, it embraces the pain and the beauty in what followed: the resilience and the community connection and support. What truly stood out for me, though, was the direction. This is a great debut from Samoan director Miki Magasiva. There's something incredibly special about seeing Pasifika voices take the lead in telling stories of Aotearoa, especially when it's done with such maturity, sensitivity, and visual storytelling skill. Magasiva's direction is confident and deliberate. He lets the silences speak, gives the actors room to breathe, and allows the emotional impact to build naturally. Thank you to the beautiful cast and crew for bringing this story to life. Thank you, Miki Magasiva, for stepping into the spotlight with such a strong, moving debut. And thank you for making space for our stories, our pain, and our hope to be seen and honoured.

There wasn't a dry eye in the theatre. This movie made everyone laugh and cry. The performances were amazing and the music was surprisingly well done. The framework of the movie may seem familiar, but there's so much about this movie that is fresh and surprising. Masterful storytelling and pacing. Wonderful homage to mothers and teachers. The two leads were very impressive and perfectly cast. I enjoyed that there were aspects of the characters that they hinted at by different cues, but didn't feel the need to explain it. It's possible that some viewers will miss these cues, as they were seamlessly integrated into the film.