Tinā puts Pasifika voices front and centre in record-breaking film

10:47 am on 15 August 2025

Susana Suisuiki, Pacific Waves presenter/producer

Mareta Percival (Anapela Polataivao) is still mourning the death of her daughter in the Christchurch earthquakes three years earlier.

Tinā stars Anapela Polataivao as the lead character, Mareta Percival, a substitute teacher grieving the death of her daughter who is tragically killed in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. Photo: Supplied

New Zealand-based Samoan director Miki Magasiva attributes his debut feature film's success to cultural connections.

The filmTinā has surpassed Kiwi classic Whale Rider to become the fifth most successful film in New Zealand.

Released earlier this year, Tinā stars Anapela Polataivao as the lead character, Mareta Percival, a substitute teacher grieving the death of her daughter who is tragically killed in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake.

In an interview with Pacific Waves, Magasiva said has been emotional knowing how hard he and the crew worked to get the film off the ground.

"Beulah [Koale] and I have been on this journey right from the beginning," he said.

"We've been to so many places to deliver the film to people that when we hit the milestone, he and I had a really special, intimate, emotional moment when he called to say congratulations."

Magasiva said despite the film's Pasifika influence, it is a story that has mass appeal.

"I just wanted to put in all the things that I like, and they just happen to be the things that I feel like resonate with not only Pacific Islanders, but everybody else.

"There's music in there, there's comedy there, there's emotion there, there's family, there's our mothers, there's sacrifice."

Review: Tinā - A journey through grief, healing, and cultural unity

Tina has also claimed the third-highest opening week of all time for a New Zealand film, and has been released internationally in countries such as the United States, Australia and Samoa.

Magasiva said that, while there have been other notable films by Pasifika creatives such as Sione's Wedding, The Orator and Three Wise Cousins, it has been "few and far between".

For the Polynesian Panthers miniseries The Panthers, Miki Magasiva was named Best Director at the 2022 NZTV Awards.

Miki Magasiva Photo: Supplied

However, he said the success of Tinā has brought a renewed sense of enthusiasm among the Pacific film and television community.

In an industry with few Pacific representation, Magasiva stresses that unity goes a long way.

"We're often our own worst enemy and that's just how we've been," he said.

"But I hope now we can get behind each other and we can support each other in our stories.

"It's very hard to tell these stories and I don't think it's useful to be knocking each other down.

"We certainly had our challenge with that and making this film, and if we hadn't made this film, we wouldn't have had all of this massive success that we've had and it wouldn't be something that we could call our own."