Red, White and Brass

New Zealand 2023, 85 minutes
Dir. Damon Fepulea’i
In English, Tongan with English subtitles
Rating: [PG] contains coarse language
Genres: Comedy

Feat. John-Paul Foliaki, Haanz Fa’avae-Jackson, Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, Mikey Falesiu, Nathaniel Lees

“A heart-warmingly good-humoured flick with a heart the size of a bass drum.”~Chris Greenwood, A Sliver of Film

Aroview: John-Paul Foliaki leads a lovable ensemble cast in this joyous, uplifting comedy set in the Tongan community of Te Whanga-nui-a-Tara during the Rugby World Cup of 2011.

It tells the improbable-but-true story of a rag-tag bunch of non-musicians who resort to forming a "traditional" brass band just so they can see Tonga play (and beat!) France at Wellington's 'Cake Tin'. Like some of the famous pop songs covered in their repertoire, this is knowingly formulaic and feel-good but with a Pacifica and quirky musical twist that is totally distinctive.