Back from Samoa and have just finished watching the movie "Red, White and Brass" with my youngest and we both thoroughly enjoyed it. The movie is based on a true story about a Wellington Tongan church community wanting to watch the 2011 Rugby World cup match between Tonga and France.
One of the congregation (the minister's son) decide to start a Tongan brass band as a way of getting the team members and church community to watch the game live. It takes some effort but after some major hurdles to climb they do overcome it. You'll have to watch the rest of it to find out how.
There were many things to enjoy about the movie. Easily the funny jokes and banter between cousins and Tongan youth. The different representations of Tongan people, the Tongan minister's wife, the discussion about one Tongan who can't speak the language or dress at the beginning of the movie but by the end it's a different story.
I think it's really important to get behind movies such as this with an indigenous narrative set in a contemporary context whereby indigenous values are discussed and depicted in such a way that it's real and authentic. Moreso than the Disney version of different cultures.
I'd highly recommend this feel good movie for families and especially for young Pasifika and non-Pasifika people to watch. It showcases what communities can fulfil together when given a goal or a task to accomplish and like the movie says, there's no 'i' in band :)...
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