Title: Lea Tupu'anga/Mother Tongue (2024) Director: Vea Mafile'o Genre(s): Drama, short Duration: 17mins Stars: Luciane Buchanan • Albert Rounds • Mikey Falesiu “A simple yet powerful and thought-provoking film.” Lea Tupu'anga/Mother Tongue centers on a young Tongan/European speech therapist named Katherine (Luciane Buchanan) who is disconnected from her Tongan heritage. To secure a job, she lies about her Tongan language skills. However, she must find a way to communicate with her patient Siaosi (Albert Rounds) - an elderly gentleman who has lost his ability to speak English due to aphasia. This film explores themes of cultural identity and communication barriers. Sub-themes include family, grief and loss. The overall tone of the film conveyed was that of somberness. Cinematographer, Maria Ines Manchego does an excellent job establishing the seriousness and desperation of the situation Katherine finds herself in. The ubiquity of the color grey evokes a feeling of a sad depressed state. Director Vea Mafile'o alongside the film’s cast and crew does a splendid job showing the challenges of being culturally alienated and the struggles of learning a new language. Lea Tupu'anga was a simple yet emotionally triggering and thought-provoking film. I recommend this film for all Pacific Islanders regardless of whether you are Polynesian, Melanesian or Micronesian. Issues addressed in Mother Tongue are applicable to us who have experienced a disconnect from our indigenous identity through colonization, displacement, interracial marriages or similar circumstances that which have caused a compromise in our identity.