Jump to content

Aroha Bridge

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Schwede66 (talk | contribs) at 22:17, 23 June 2022 (→Production: fix link). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Aroha Bridge
Genre
Created byJessica Hansell
Based onHook Ups
by Jessica Hansell
Written byJessica Hansell
Madeleine Sami
Morgan Waru
Directed byJessica Hansell
Simon Ward
Creative directorCarthew Neal
Voices ofJessica Hansell
Rizván Tu’Itahi
Madeleine Sami
Frankie Stevens
Scotty Cotter
ComposersDisasteradio
Coco Solid
Jizmatron
Country of originNew Zealand
Original languagesEnglish, Māori
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes22
Production
Executive producerPaul Horan
ProducerMorgan Waru
Running time3 minutes (Season 1)
5 minutes (Season 2)
30 minutes (Season 3)
Production companyPiki Films
Original release
NetworkThe New Zealand Herald (Season 1)
Māori Television, Stuff (Season 3)

Aroha Bridge is a New Zealand adult animated comedy by Jessica Hansell. The series focuses on the biracial twins Kōwhai and Monty Hook as they navigate the fictional community of Aroha Bridge and their pursuit in finding stardom. Aroha Bridge began as a webcomic entitled Hook Ups, which was first published in Volume magazine in 2011. It was later renamed and made into a series of 3 minute online shorts that first aired on The New Zealand Herald website. Aroha Bridge was later greenlit as a full series with funding from NZ On Air and aired on Māori Television. The animated series first aired on 23 May 2013, and stars Jessica Hansell, Rizván Tu’Itahi, Madeleine Sami, Frankie Stevens, and Scotty Cotter.

Synopsis

Aroha Bridge focuses on the fictional community of Aroha Bridge and the multicultural community within it, with a focus on "authentic, urban Māori characters".[1] The series focuses on the biracial twins Kōwhai and Monty Hook as they try to navigate the complex relations of their whānau and hometown all while the two try and achieve stardom.[2]

Characters

The main cast of Aroha Bridge (from left to right): Mum Hook, Manu Hook, Uncle Noogy, Kōwhai Hook, Monty Hook, Ira Hook, Aunty Winny, Angeline Hook

Main

  • Jessica Hansell as Kōwhai Hook, the motivated but also mildly delusional twin sister of Monty, of whom she forms half of the band "Hook Ups" with.[3][4]
  • Rizván Tu'itahi as Monty Hook, the laid-back and talented twin brother of Kōwhai, of whom forms half of the band "Hook Ups" with.[3][4]
  • Madeleine Sami as Mum Hook, the mother of Kōwhai and Monty and described as being "pakeha on the outside, wannabe Māori on the inside".[3] She is passionate about Te Reo, but is not fluent in the language, reflective of other amateurs in New Zealand.[4]
  • Frankie Stevens as Manu Hook, the father of Kōwhai and Monty, described as the reverse of Mum Hook, in that he is Māori on the outside and wannabe Pākeha on the inside, suppressing his internalized racism.[3] Manu is a former military member and enjoys rugby, he additionally cannot stand his brother Noogy.[4]
  • Scotty Cotter as Ira Hook, the twins' eccentric cousin who serves as their band's number one fan and as comic encouragement towards the twins' shenanigans.[4]

Recurring

Production

Aroha Bridge was originally entitled Hook Ups, and began as a webcomic by Jessica Hansell, also known as Coco Solid, which was first published in 2011 by the music magazine Volume.[3] Hansell was asked to create a comic by the editor of Volume, Sam Wicks.[6] It was then developed into a ten-part short web animation, which debuted on The New Zealand Herald website.[5] Before being fully greenlit as an animated series with support by NZ On Air's Brenda Leeuwenberg,[6] with the show airing on Māori Television.[3]

The series had been renamed following concerns by fans who would google up the original title and would instead find pornography under the same title.[7][5] The title was chosen "because it's a big part of the show, in terms of geography, their suburb, their whanau" according to Hansell.[7] The inclusion of words in the Māori language in a naturalistic format was part of the ethos of the show, Hansell stated that the show's team wanted to make Māoridom a "natural, braided thing".[7] In addition, the new name of the show was a reference to Māngere Bridge, where Hansell had grown up.[7] The show's location is inspired by Māngere Bridge during the 1980s and 1990s,[2] but additionally has "DNA from Porirua and Newtown and the Waikato."[3][5] The was described by Hansell as a "Frankenstein beast of all of my friends, family, and me – showing that everyone is connected whether we like it or not", and that the characters were all a tiny part of her.[8]

Themes

Aroha Bridge addresses and amplifies contemporary social issues facing Pacific Islanders and Pacific culture.[2] Alex Behan, writing in Stuff, commented that the show offers a "layered world addressing Aotearoa's cultural issues with a mix of insight, outrage and comedy".[9] The first episode of the second season discusses themes of generational resentment, cultural appropriation, and hypocrisy in politics.[10] The first episode of the third season touches on the Hollywood perception of the Pacific and the exploitation of Pacific culture for financial gain.[9] The second episode of the third season discusses the systemic barriers that Māori face in the education system in attaining proper education and scholarships.[9] In the fourth episode of the third season, the episode discusses the issue of loan sharking in low-income areas.[9] The third season often addresses the right to protest, reflecting the events at Ihumātao that were happening as the season aired.[9]

The portrayal of the series' characters is intended to spark a nuanced conversation on the social factors leading to their characterization, including Manu's internalized racism[3] and Uncle Noogy's radical activism. The series' humor was described by Hansell as being rooted in multiculturalism.[2] The portrayal of the characters in Aroha Bridge is meant to dispel stereotypes and dispel previous instances of superficial and reductive treatment of Māori and Pasifika with regards to their representations in media.[9][5] The development for the individual characters which series showcases was described as "mad developed" by Leonie Hayden in The Spinoff.[5]

The series' four Māori writers are credited for the series' nuanced approach towards contemporary issues facing the Māori community, with their lived experienced and "cultural truth" being reflected in the series.[9] Hansell cited her frustration with the "same archetypes tumble drying all the time", getting into storytelling to prioritize Māori and Pacific stories.[5] Hansell describes the show's mixture of animation and comedy masking a deeper subtext that would come out to viewers as they watch the show,[5][2] stressing that there needs to be recognition in New Zealand for the "counter-cultural freedom" that adult animation overseas is recognized for.[6] Comedy, as Hansell describes, is a way for her to cope with the politics and dysfunction that she sees in her daily life.[2]

Episodes

Season 1 (2013)

No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
1"Benny's 21st"Simon WardJessica HansellMay 23, 2013 (2013-05-23)
2"Kiri the Krazy Kea"Simon WardJessica HansellMay 23, 2013 (2013-05-23)
4"Art to Art"Simon WardJessica HansellMay 23, 2013 (2013-05-23)
5"Amcray"Simon WardJessica HansellMay 30, 2013 (2013-05-30)
6"Aroha Bridge Factor"Simon WardJessica HansellJune 6, 2013 (2013-06-06)
7"Triple Threat"Simon WardJessica HansellJune 13, 2013 (2013-06-13)
8"Space Invasion"Simon WardJessica HansellJune 20, 2013 (2013-06-20)
9"MeTube"Simon WardJessica HansellJune 27, 2013 (2013-06-27)
10"Halloween"Simon WardJessica HansellJuly 4, 2013 (2013-07-04)

Season 2 (2016)

No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
1"Angeline in Concert"Simon Ward
Jessica Hansell		Jessica HansellJuly 3, 2016 (2016-07-03)
2"Plastic Maori"Simon Ward
Jessica Hansell		Jessica HansellJuly 3, 2016 (2016-07-03)
3"Radical Bro"Simon Ward
Jessica Hansell		Jessica HansellJuly 3, 2016 (2016-07-03)
4"Iron Maori Maiden"Simon Ward
Jessica Hansell		Jessica HansellJuly 3, 2016 (2016-07-03)
5"Kowhai Has A Crisis"Simon Ward
Jessica Hansell		Jessica HansellJuly 3, 2016 (2016-07-03)
6"Ira's Antique Roadshow"Simon Ward
Jessica Hansell		Jessica HansellJuly 3, 2016 (2016-07-03)

Season 3 (2019)

No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
1"Stealing The Show"Simon Ward
Jessica Hansell		Jessica Hansell
Madeleine Sami		July 26, 2019 (2019-07-26)
2"Scholarchips and a Drink"Simon Ward
Jessica Hansell		Jessica Hansell
Morgan Waru		August 2, 2019 (2019-08-02)
3"Legally M'orange"Simon Ward
Jessica Hansell		Jessica HansellAugust 9, 2019 (2019-08-09)
4"Mind ya Business"Simon Ward
Jessica Hansell		Jessica HansellAugust 16, 2019 (2019-08-16)
5"Marae Mysteries"Simon Ward
Jessica Hansell		Jessica Hansell
Madeleine Sami		August 23, 2019 (2019-08-23)
6"The Wall"Simon Ward
Jessica Hansell		Jessica HansellAugust 30, 2019 (2019-08-30)

Reception

Alex Behan writing for Stuff described Aroha Bridge as a "cultural minefield of sorts", stating that the show "manages to walk the delicate tightrope that only brilliantly pitched satire can". Behan praised the portrayal of some of the series' characters for how they take "painful ugly realities and [mine] them for laughs", and the thought that was put into the show's production would "cement Jessica Hansell as one of Aotearoa's most important voices".[3]

Miriama Aoake writing in Pantograph Punch described her familiarity with the characters that the show had portrayed. Stating there had "never been a TV show that can both reflect and deny those buzzy idiosyncrasies in a whānau dynamic", describing it as both "disarming and affirming".[11] Aoake praised the marriage of humor and animation to deliver a sensation that "hits like a delayed concussion".[11]

Rachel Montpelier writing in Women and Hollywood stated that the show's interesting and multifaceted presentation surpassed a comparison with combination of the family dynamics in Transparent, the world building found in Orange Is the New Black, and Key & Peele's dissection on the expressions of race. Describing Aroha Bridge as "rare series that has a defined point-of-view, a balance of specific and universal humor".[10]

Accolades

Aroha Bridge has been featured in several film festivals including the SBS Short Film Festival,[1] ImagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts Festival,[12] and the Mother Tongue Film Festival.[13] In 2019, the series won "Best Web Series" in a field of 15 during the 2019 Los Angeles Film Awards.[14][1] The show was nominated during the 2020 NZ TV awards for the category of "Best Comedy/Comedy Entertainment Program",[15] but lost to Wellington Paranormal.[16]

Award nominations for Aroha Bridge
Year Award Category Result Source
2019 Los Angeles Film Awards Best Web Series Won [14][1]
2020 New Zealand film and television awards Best Comedy/Comedy Entertainment Programme Nominated [15][16]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Aroha Bridge". Piki Films. Archived from the original on 17 May 2022. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "WOMEN OF THE ISLANDS: COCO SOLID". Coconet TV. Archived from the original on 1 March 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Behan, Alex (24 July 2019). "Why Kiwi animation will never be the same after Aroha Bridge". Stuff. Archived from the original on 12 March 2022. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Aroha Bridge Characters". Māori Television. Archived from the original on 23 February 2022. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Hayden, Leonie (25 July 2019). "Coco Solid on the return of Aroha Bridge and the fight for Ihumātao". The Spinoff. Archived from the original on 15 April 2021. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  6. ^ a b c Solid, Coco (7 July 2016). "Build a bridge and get over it: Coco Solid on why making a cartoon is both hard and magical". The Spinoff. Archived from the original on 12 May 2022. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  7. ^ a b c d "Kiwi web series renamed over porn problems". NZ Herald. 1 July 2016. Archived from the original on 17 April 2022. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  8. ^ Liu, Maggy (6 July 2016). "Aroha Bridge Creator Coco Solid (aka Jessica Hansell) On Her Awesome Web Series". Tearaway. Archived from the original on 17 May 2022. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g Behan, Alex (16 August 2019). "Aroha Bridge deals in sharp satire, from loan sharking, racism to the right to protest". Stuff. Archived from the original on 13 May 2022. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  10. ^ a b Montpelier, Rachel (18 August 2016). "Great Expectations: August Web Series and VOD Picks". Women and Hollywood. Archived from the original on 17 May 2022. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  11. ^ a b Aoake, Miriama. "A Crock-pot of Crack-ups: On Aroha Bridge". Pantograph Punch. Creative NZ. Archived from the original on 21 January 2021. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  12. ^ 17th Annual imagineNATIVE Catalogue. Bell Media. 19 October 2016. p. 47. Archived from the original on 3 May 2022. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  13. ^ Mother Tongue Film Festival 2016–2020 Five-Year Report (PDF). Smithsonian Institution. pp. 27, 31. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 January 2022. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  14. ^ a b "Aroha Bridge wins best webseries at the Los Angeles Film Awards". Stuff. 3 December 2019. Archived from the original on 13 May 2022. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  15. ^ a b "NZ TV Awards: The Luminaries leads the pack with 14 nominations, Stuff Circuit nominated". Stuff. 21 October 2020. Archived from the original on 29 December 2020. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  16. ^ a b "Winners Announced In The 2020 New Zealand Television Awards | Scoop News". www.scoop.co.nz. 19 November 2020. Archived from the original on 17 February 2021. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Aroha_Bridge&oldid=1094671204"