T for Taupou

T for Taupou is an upcoming short film that we are creating as our Major project for our final year in film production at Massey. It's a fast-paced, chaotic story that takes place in real-time, all in a backstage room as a Poly Club of tertiary students prepares to take the stage for a competition. 

When the taupou’s outfit goes missing, miscommunications arise and conflicts unfold between the group members until it turns into a chaotic mess.

We are a team of passionate students and we are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to create this film and looking forward to seeing it come to completion. 

The core team consists of:

• Sofia Misa - Writer/Director
• Ruby Spencer - DOP
• Joel Va'ai & Cameron Alers - Co-Producers
• Shannon Knight - Sound Recordist. 

And we have an awesome cast consisting of Toi Whakaari and Massey students! 

Your donations will go towards:

• Paying all of our actors and extras
• Feeding cast and crew on shoot days
• Set dressing, props, and costume items
• Entering our film into festivals

With this film we are focused on representation, portraying situations and dynamics that are familiar to a Polynesian audience, but also speak to a general audience. We know that Polynesians love a good laugh, so our script explores the humour that naturally emerges from clashing Polynesian personalities. Each character reflects a different relationship to the culture, creating space for a range of perspectives. 

The work is super important to us.  It's rooted in real experiences from within our Polynesian communities, and we believe the story will really resonate with a wide audience. The script captures the tension, love, and chaos that exists behind the scenes of cultural performance groups. 

It speaks to the Pasifika youth- reflecting the challenges of holding onto culture in modern spaces, and the power we find in community when things fall apart.