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Text reads, "Blind Bitter Happiness".

14m

Blind Bitter Happiness captures the messy awkwardness of family life, the hard and hilarious truths of childhood, and the hilarity in our seemingly banal everyday battles.

Produced for RNZ by Tinderbox Productions

4 episodes

Immortal Beloved

Everyone gathers to address a sensitive issue concerning Jasper’s private parts. After the family gets news that Denis doesn’t have long to live, Scarlett prepares to save her grandad from dying.
Episode 1
14m

Precious Things

Scarlett refuses to accept Denis' passing, placing her charmed objects on his bed in the hope he’ll live forever. Dr. P discovers his premonition was true when he sees Scarlett with Grandad Denis.
Episode 2
15m

The Golden Child

Family and friends mourn Denis' passing. Dr. P realises he doesn't feel anything about it. Patrick pitches his new business venture. Scarlett performs a protection ritual on Grandad, but Grandma undoes it.
Episode 3
17m

The Wake

Jasper is rejected by Dithyaa, whom he catches kissing Cousin Paul. Scarlett shows her father the company shares she found in Grandad's drawer and Dr. P takes his Vietnam medals. Lulu is late to the wake.
Episode 4
24m

Trailers & bonus video

Trailer 2

Blind Bitter Happiness is a comedy-drama revolving around the Fahey's as they navigate family and their own struggles and conflicts.
1m

Trailer 1

Blind Bitter Happiness is a comedy-drama revolving around the Fahey's as they navigate family and their own struggles and conflicts.
2m

Premiere Vox Pops

A collection of reactions from the Blind Bitter Happiness premiere.
2m

Produced by

Tinderbox partner logo for use on dark background

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Video section home

The host, Mihingarangi Forbes, smiling at the camera. Text reads, "Mata".
6 people are seated around a long table, four of them are wearing hi-vis tops. On the table there are little traffic cones and signs. There are two flags hanging on the wall behind them, the flag of the United Tribes of New Zealand and the Maori flag. Orange text reads, "Hi-Vis".
A large group of people protesting, they're all holding signs. Text reads, "Hīkoi, Speaking Our Truth".
A white pick-up truck drives up a winding country road, surrounded by dry New Zealand farmland. The text reads "The Turning Point"
A woman siting on a two person sized couch, she has her arms spread to the sides. She's looking at the camera. Text reads, "I Got You".
Six people standing in a row wearing indoor netball bibs. The person in the centre is holding a netball and smiling that the camera, everyone else looks curious or fed up. Text reads, "Here If You Need".
Charlotte Cook leaning on a bench and smiling. Beside her is a stack of cookbooks and a bowl of tomatoes. Text reads, "Grilled, with Charlotte Cook".
Text reads, "Treaty Talks Aotearoa, Hosted by Kara Rickard". Surrounding the text is an image of a version of the Coat of Arms, the 'Crown' figure is holding a Māori flag.
Black and white faces of Helen Clark, Dame Jenny Shipley, Jim Bolger Geoffrey Palmer and Mike Moore, with the words 'The 9th Floor' underneath them. The background of the image is black.
A man standing in front of a mural of the Tino Rangatiratanga flag (Māori flag). Text reads, "Hori on a Hīkoi".
A yellow baroque style wallpaper. A white line drawing of a house is in the bottom right corner. White handwritten text reads, "Kāinga".
A sepia toned photograph laying on a table. The photograph is of a man looking over his shoulder at the camera, he is wearing headphones and sitting in from of a switch board. Text reads, "Coast Watchers Operation Pacific".
Piripi is wearing a shirt and a cap and looks into the camera smiling. He is leaning against the side of a vehicle. Text reads, "Oe, The Adventures of of Piripi Kaiwaru AKA Phillip! Narrated by his Mother" There is a small illustration of a truck under the text, as well as illustrations of deer horns and a kangaroo.
The back of someone looking up at a big red firework exploding in the night sky. Text reads, "Giants Giants Giants". The last "Giants" fades into the background.
Side profile of a persons face, silhouetted against a setting sun out of frame. Text reads, "Imposter".
A portrait of a child looking into the camera. On their head is a collection of blue and green strips of ribbon that intertwine with their long braided hair. They are wearing a blue shirt, a jacket and a bow tie. Text reads, "Loading Docs". Beside the text is a simple graphic circle meant to look like a roll of film.
A man looking into the camera with his mouth slightly open. His left eye is bugged out in a comically over the top way. Text reads, "A Place Called Te Awamutu".
A man operating a cannon, theres smoke coming out of it and a man next to it holding his hands over his ears. Text reads, "NZ Wars: Stories of Waitara".
A man wearing a kākahu (clothing garment) and holding a hīrau (waka paddle). Text reads, "Te Kawau ki Tai. The Story of a Waka".
A woman sitting on a chair next to a desk and coffee table. She's smiling at the camera. Text reads, "Aotearoa's Most Bizarre Conspiracies".
A team of young field hockey players in a triangle formation in the midst of a haka. They're all dressed the same in blue long sleeve tops and navy track pants and are holding hockey sticks. Text reads, "Ruamata: It's More Than Hockey".
Text reads, "House Talk" on a white brick wall background.
Two men embracing in a MMA octagon ring. They look sweaty post match. It's dark around them but they are standing in a spotlight. Text reads, "Fighting Chance".
A background image made up of red orange and blue shapes. Text reads, "Shine One Katherine Mansfield" in the 'O' is a black and white photograph of Katherine Mansfield's face.