Tinā
Mareta Percival, a Samoan teacher, reluctantly becomes a substitute at an elite, mostly white private school after a devastating personal loss. When she discovers her students yearning for guidance, inspiration and love, she turns to Samoan musical traditions, using song and rhythm to reach them and foster a caring, collaborative classroom.
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Tinā (2025) – Full Plot Summary & Ending Explained
Read the complete plot breakdown of Tinā (2025), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.
Mareta Percival, Beulah Koale, is a Samoan New Zealander and a devoted primary school teacher in Aranui, a low‑income Christchurch suburb. On the day of the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, Mareta’s daughter auditions at the CTV Building and is killed, leaving Mareta grief‑stricken and struggling to hold onto her Roman Catholic faith.
In 2014, to keep her unemployment benefits, her nephew and social worker Sio, Dalip Sondhi, convinces Mareta to apply for a substitute teaching post at St Francis School, a largely Pākehā private school with conservative expectations. Despite reservations from the school board, the retiring headmaster Alan Hubbard, Dalip Sondhi, hires her.
One day, Mareta walks in on Sophie, Antonia Robinson, being confronted by deputy principal Peter Wadsworth to specialize in an instrument, and Mareta covers for her by saying they had discussed vocal scholarships. With no choir to begin with, Mareta convinces the headmaster to start one, appointing herself choirmaster, much to the dismay of Peter. She also enlists the help of St Francis alumni and accomplished chorister Helen, Tania Nolan.
The choir attracts several students beyond Sophie, including Anthony Bull, Zac O’Meagher, Mei-Ling, Talia Pua, and Luke, Caleb Nazzer. Despite their privileged backgrounds, these students bring personal traumas and insecurities that the group begins to share and navigate together, learning to work as a team. Seeing potential in Sophie, Mareta trains her as lead chorister.
With encouragement from a local priest, the St Francis choir conducts their first performance at Mareta’s Samoan church. Mareta’s former teaching colleague, Rona, confronts her, viewing St Francis kids as privileged and elite; Mareta collapses and is hospitalized, revealing a cancer diagnosis she had kept hidden.
Mareta introduces her students to the upcoming national Big Sing competition, hoping they will compete. However, due to a troubled home life, Sophie leaves the choir after refusing to don a lavalava because of a disfiguring arm injury, forcing Mei-Ling to take on a leadership role. Tensions rise when Anthony and Mei-Ling are embroiled in a fight with St Francis’ elite rugby team, leading Anthony to leave the choir.
Despite these obstacles and Mareta’s worsening cancer, the St Francis choir presses on and defies expectations, qualifying for the semi‑final and then the final of the Big Sing. Yet Mareta’s teaching contract is terminated, and she is hospitalised as her condition worsens. The choristers remain determined to perform, with Sophie and Anthony returning to the group. To fill the gap left by Mareta, Sophie enlists her mother Caroline, a board member, and Rona’s support. On the night of the final, Mareta passes away, but Sophie leads the St Francis choir, wearing a lavalava, in a moving performance of a traditional Samoan song.
Last Updated: October 01, 2025 at 13:07
Explore Movie Threads
Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.
Bittersweet Journeys of Reconnection After Loss like in Tinā
Characters find renewed purpose and connection while navigating profound personal grief.If you were moved by Tinā's story of a grieving teacher finding purpose, explore more movies like Tinā. These films feature characters overcoming deep personal loss by connecting with others, leading to emotional, bittersweet, and ultimately hopeful stories of healing.
Narrative Summary
Stories in this thread typically begin with a significant personal loss that isolates the protagonist. Their journey involves reluctantly engaging with a new community or responsibility, which becomes a catalyst for their own healing. The central conflict often involves overcoming internal grief while building external connections, culminating in a resolution that acknowledges the permanence of loss while celebrating the new life and meaning found.
Why These Movies?
Movies are grouped here because they share a specific emotional mix: they are fundamentally heavy due to their subject matter, yet they are driven by a hopeful, inspirational core. The tone is consistently bittersweet, weaving together melancholy and uplift, and the pacing is steady and character-driven, focusing on emotional growth.
Inspiring Teachers and Unconventional Classrooms like in Tinā
Educators use unique methods to reach struggling students and transform lives.For viewers who enjoyed Tinā's portrayal of a teacher using music to inspire her class, this section features similar movies like Tinā. Discover stories about inspirational educators who use unique approaches to connect with students and foster a sense of community and self-worth.
Narrative Summary
The narrative pattern follows an educator—often new or substitute—entering a challenging educational environment. They face skepticism from both students and the institution. By introducing a personal or unconventional teaching method (like art, music, or a unique philosophy), they slowly earn the students' trust, overcome a central obstacle, and facilitate a breakthrough that proves the value of their approach, highlighting mutual growth.
Why These Movies?
These films are grouped by their shared focus on the teacher-student dynamic as a vehicle for inspiration and personal growth. They typically have a steady pacing that allows for character development, a heartfelt and earnest tone, and a core theme of overcoming adversity through empathy and unconventional wisdom.
Unlock the Full Story of Tinā
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Tinā Timeline
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Characters, Settings & Themes in Tinā
Discover the characters, locations, and core themes that shape Tinā. Get insights into symbolic elements, setting significance, and deeper narrative meaning — ideal for thematic analysis and movie breakdowns.
