MRAC Cinema Club presents Tina

Followed by refreshments Film release date: 2025 Film language: English

Auditorium, Brolga Theatre

This New Zealand drama, written and directed by Miki Magasiva, premiered at the Hawaii Film Festival in 2024. A teacher working in a primary school in a deprived area of Christchurch struggles to get over the loss of her daughter in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. Later, she applies for a substitute teacher post in an elite private school and then persuades management to allow her to form a choir. Despite challenges, the choir prospers and finally wins a prestigious competition. The film was praised for its focus on the inspirational power of music and for highlighting the cultural divide between white and Maori/Pacific Islander heritage New Zealanders. Some critics pointed out that though they liked the film’s overall message, there was quite a lot of ‘schmaltz’ as well as moments of comedy, along with great performances, especially from the star and one of the young actors who portrays a teenager with various emotional problems.