Tenor: My Name is Pati

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https://rialtodistribution.com/film/tenor-my-name-is-pati/

Date Reviewed: 17/07/2026

You know those people who you meet and you just feel this joy radiating from them? They’re grounded, they’re happy in themselves, and they have this aura that lights up the room. This is the impression I get from meeting Pene Pati through this documentary style film. 

It comes from his family and the morals and values he was raised with that ooze from him. What a strong emphasis on family he was brought up with. Family first; when you do something, it is to honour your family; firm household rules. Some may say too strict, too old school, too religious. But definitely not absent. With the firm boundaries, came others. Take care of your sisters. Put others first. A strong pull to spend quality time together in adulthood. A community who is there to support you fully, and in Pene’s case, allow him to live his unique and rare dream. The grounding in adulthood this appears to have provided Pene is evident, providing him with a set of guiding principles for decision-making in life. What an amazing gift to give a child, the tools to help make decisions as an adult. This is probably one of the greatest powers a parent can pass onto their offspring, and as it’s presented in the documentary, has not led Pene astray at all. Potentially, even earnt him greater respect for his strong boundaries. This element spoke the highest to me throughout.

As an Islander growing up with an interest in music, it wasn’t always easy. This documentary shone a tiny dim light on the political side of the racism and prejudice present in 1990s-2000s New Zealand. Not only how an Islander could possibly be successful at a traditionally European type of music such as opera, but also the classism of which demographics were allowed to be ‘successful’. I wish a deeper look could’ve been provided into this, however I respect the overall positive tone of the documentary and the desire to maintain that. A warmer tone reflects Pene’s personality, with every negative comment or element sandwiched in positivity. 

We don’t really delve into the lives of modern opera performers and what they look like. The documentary also provided great insight into this lifestyle. To produce such great art despite performing with a cohort of professionals you met mere days ago, and spending 90% of your time alone, travelling, living out of a suitcase and disconnected from your partner, family, friends. What looks glamorous on the stage, makes for a lonely life, and while family was strong, I daresay friendships may be lacking as a result of such a lifestyle. We didn’t really meet any of Pene’s friends in this documentary. 

To finish this review, a star to Pene’s incredible talent. To not just have such a voice, but also to have been able to learn the piano at an incredible pace is a testament to the talent he beholds. Several snippets of performing scenes and I got chills at the sound of his voice just through the tv speakers let alone in live performance. To quote several acquaintances throughout, the colour in his tone of voice is incredible. To bring it back to family, you can hear the culture and the familial support in the power and strength of his voice with every sound, and it works.

 While I had heard of Pene and his trio Sol3 Mio, I definitely would see them live on the backend of this documentary. 

Reviewed by Juliet Morelli