Mother Tongue

A young speech therapist struggles with her disconnect from her Tongan roots after lying about her fluency in the language to secure employment. Once on the job, she finds herself unable to communicate effectively, creating a dangerous situation for the patient in her care.

This New Zealand drama was directed by Vea Mafile'o, marking the first of two films she has directed. The screenplay was written by Luciane Buchanan, who also stars in the lead role as Katherine. The supporting cast includes Albert Rounds, Mikey Falesiu, Michael Falesiu, Michael Koloi, and Elizabeth Thomson. The short film has a runtime of 17 minutes and was produced by the New Zealand Film Commission, Run Charlie Films, and Script to Screen. On TMDB, the film has a rating of 5/10 based on one vote.