Inky Pinky Ponky – On Whakaata Māori

When a young fakaleiti falls in love with the Captain of the First XV at St Valentine’s High School, she must navigate her way through a world of intolerance and bigotry to find happiness - in an unexpected place.

Funded by NZ On Air, INKY PINKY PONKY premieres 8.30 PM on Friday 23 June, on Whakaata Māori and MĀORI+2.

Tikilounge Productions’ Managing Director, Lisa Taouma, says INKY PINKY PONKY speaks to the hearts of rainbow aigas across the moana.

“The sass and the relevance of this coming-of-age story looks beyond the hyena laughs, to the pain of the adolescent experience when you don’t run with the pack.

“The melting pot becomes a pressure cooker when rugby players, Island mums, gender fluidity and teenage micro-aggressions all converge in this highly bent high school romance,” says Lisa.

INKY PINKY PONKY is based on Amanaki Prescott-Faletau’s true story about the traumas and triumphs of queer adolescence.

Directed by Damon Fepulea’i and Ramon Te Wake, INKY PINKY PONKY was originally written as a stage play by Leki Jackson-Burke and Amanaki Prescott-Faletau.

The rangatahi story of gender and sexual identity affirmation has won the hearts of hundreds of Pasifika school students in its stage form and is now brought to life on screen, with co-writer Amanaki in the lead role.

Tikilounge Productions Limited is a dynamic young team of Pacific creatives and curators who bring you stories from around the Pacific region. Known for the popular long-running TV 2 series Fresh and home of the biggest online pacific portal www.thecoconet.nz.

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