The Pasefika Movie Starter Kit

The Pasefika Movie Starter Kit heads to the end of the cul de sac as The Baron To'a's prodigal son Fritz returns to sell his family home. He must first reclaim his late father's championship wrestling belt from the neighborhood gang, Pig Hunters. The pace is quick, the laughs are many, the twist? Did NOT see it coming. We introduce you to the characters, break down the scenes and give...

We'll be releasing new movie reviews every other week starting Tuesday, February 6 with our full breakdown, theme dives and Final Scores for 2020's "The Legend of Baron To'a". #Tonga #TheLegendOfBaronToa For our final standalone PMSK REview we take a deeper look into The Tattooist and its main character's ties to Pacific colonialism and the dynamics that shame cast on dif...

The Pasefika Movie Starter Kit covers all the mirrors in the house before embarking out to join Tattoo Stealer Jake Sawyer as he swipes a cursed Samoan tattoo tool, unknowingly releasing a deadly spirit who makes sure any tattoos that Jake gives to his new customers are their last. Robbie Magasiva and Nathaniel Lees each pop off the screen in their scenes while David Fane With Hair gives a bone-ch...

The PMSK REview is a deeper look into some of the topics we don't get into when doing the scene-by-scene breakdowns. We return to The Legend of Johnny Lingo to speak on not being bound to others' expectations (shout out to Trey Lance), how your self-image can affect your life and how a good rumor can grow into a wildfire like a forgotten ember burning down a house. First we need to change...

The Pasefika Movie Starter Kit secretly built a canoe to sail back to Polynesia where a young baby is found shipwrecked after a great storm. The child is seen as cursed and must eventually flee the island as a young boy before being washed ashore and found by the wealthiest trader in all the islands. We'll introduce you to the characters, break down the scenes and give our Final Scores for "The Le...

The PMSK REview is a deeper look into some of the topics we don't get into when doing the scene-by-scene breakdowns of contemporary classic Pasefika films. We return to our latest entry to the Pasefika Movie Starter Kit, Taika Waititi's "Boy", to talk through the movie's theme of Potential and the different ways Boy and Alamein use their natural gifts to try and realize their...

The Pasefika Movie Starter Kit moonwalks back to Waihau Bay, Aotearoa in 1984 to find a boy who believes the very best in his absentee father. Alamein is an 11-year old man-of-the-house whose life is turned upside down when his father returns home to find his long-buried treasure. Filled with big cries, surprise reveals, loud laughs (and an enraging acting performance by writer and director Taika...

The PMSK REview is a deeper look into some of the topics we don't get into when doing the scene-by-scene breakdowns of contemporary and classic Pasefika films. We return to our first entry of the Pasefika Movie Starter Kit, "Once Were Warriors", and to Jake The Muss's love for the pub and what in his past generations may have led to it. We start with lucid dreaming, though. #Once...

The Pasefika Movie Starter Kit travels on the back of the ancient whale Tohora to Whangara, New Zealand for a young girl's fight for her grandfather's approval. Paikea has all the qualities to be a future chief other than being born a male. We discuss the themes of cultural sexism and equality as well as diving into Tradition vs Modernity, Duty vs Dreams and Cultural expectations overlooki...

The Pasefika Movie Starter Kit travels back to 2014 to watch a treasured documentary (and soon-to-be feature film) that follows American Samoa's national soccer team in their attempt to win a World Cup qualifying match after years (decades?) of being the worst-ranked team in the world. Join us as we are transported back to Pago Pago Field and the backdrop of the lush, dark green mountains surr...

The Pasefika Movie Starter Kit dives into a 2006 comedy pivotal to our generation's upbringing. Four New Zealand bachelors with a penchant for ruining family events are banned from one of their best friend's wedding. The Duckrockers must then prove they can commit to girlfriends in order to attend. We introduce you to the characters, break down each scene and give our Final Scores for Sione's Wedd...

The Pasefika Movie Starter Kit begins in 1994 in South Auckland, New Zealand. Beth Heke fights to raise five children while navigating her husband's abusive temper. We introduce you to the characters, break down each scene and give our Final Scores for Once Were Warriors. "Once Were Warriors" Released May 1994 (NZ), Mar 3, 1995 (US) Based on "Once Were Warriors" by Alan Duf...