Tongue Tied (2018)

A 7 x 26 minute comedy, created by Albert Belz and Tainui Tukiwaho, and written by Albert Belz and Dane Giraud. At Kura Po, teacher Haami Samuels (Maaka Pohatu) attempts to teach a rag-tag group of modern Kiwi misfits tied together by their desire to learn te reo, in the teeth of staunch opposition from principal Hihi Smith. Over the series they stumble clumsily through each other's lives, loves, cultural nuances and misunderstandings. But after all is said and sung, what they ultimately discover is that when lost in translation - laughter is the true language of the universe. Within TONGUE TIED's comedy are elements of soft learning about reo and tikanga for the audience. Each episode is titled and themed after the seven stages of the pohiri. It begins at the first wero where our new students gather nervously, to the final episode of the season where the students, now a whanau, share their hakari, and finally learn the true meaning behind te reo - it's the language of love.