Groove City

In this musical set in the gritty streets of South Auckland, Solomon Tumau, a reformed bad boy is on a mission to steer his younger brothers and the youth in his community away from the path that he once walked, with the support of their grandmother, towards their limitless potential.

Steeped in the values and traditions of Pacific Island communities, the first movie from Otara-based Pele Nili — aka musician Siavani — is the music heavy story of a man trying to do right by his family and his community.

After tragedy tears his family apart, Solomon returns to the home he grew up in determined to ensure his brothers, and other young people in the community, don’t make the same mistakes he did and end up in prison. Solomon, played by Nili, runs workshops for the local youths, helping them to channel their passions into music and dance rather than into finding trouble. Nili, who ran similar workshops in real live, showcases some of the enormous talent in these young people.

Entirely self-funded, _Groove City _received the People’s Choice Award at Australia’s 2015 Pasifika Film Festival.