Whiro (17) has just lost her beloved kuia but the villagers have not gathered at the sand dunes for her burial. All of Whiro's whanau mourns except Whiro, she is unable to wail and watches from the dunes above. Embarrassed by her behaviour, Whiro's aunties accuse Tita (35), her frail mother, of not raising Whiro to respect tradition and are wondering why the villagers haven't attend their well respected mothers tangi.