A 13 Year old Niuean boy named Hake Halo smuggles a secret message to his family, written in the speech bubble of a smiling cartoon figure. It says: “fakesoka he fowa au tagi au” or, “I have been given electric shock by the people, Mum. The pain is very bad.” After he’s released, Hake finds an unlikely ally in a pākeha bug-scientist-turned-anti-racism campaigner, who takes Hake’s story to the press. But will it be enough to make the public pay attention?

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