A deliciously compelling look under the lei, and why the Hula Girl is one of the most potent and sexually alluring images in popular culture today.
Social & External
A shadow puppet film inspired by the story of an extinct Hawaiian tree snail (pūpū kani oe) named Lonely George.
Embark on a mesmerizing musical journey through the multi-faceted history of Korean American immigrants in Hawaiʻi with SONGS OF LOVE, a captivating reverie of song and history.
Under a Jarvis Moon is a 2010 documentary film about the young men, mostly of Hawaiian origin, sent in the 1930s and 1940s to colonize the Line Island of Jarvis and the Phoenix Islands of Howland and Baker.
A transgender Native Hawaiian teacher inspires a young girl to fulfill her destiny of leading the school's male hula troupe, even as she struggles to find love and a committed relationship in her own life.
Documentary focused on underwater shootings and hawaiian dances.
Hawaii, with its tropical rainforests and diverse coral reef is a spectacular natural paradise for travellers, surfers and all fans of breathtaking sandy beaches and lush green mountains. But life on the American island chain also has a dangerous side: permanently active volcanoes, lava caves, and even burning lava pours into the sea! Here you can see black smoke rise up, spray the red-hot magma into the sky and feel how the earth trembles. Located on the Pacific plate is unusual for volcanoes, Hawaii is thus researchers a fascinating destination. At Kilauea, the most active volcano on earth, the inhabitants have to live in constant danger found over the centuries cope. Lava Land - Glowing Hawaii takes you into the world of researchers and residents on the Big Iceland, the largest island of Hawaii.
Kalo (taro) production on each of the major islands of Hawai'i circa 1994. Meet the amazing people who love and continue to cultivate taro on lo'i that in some cases has been in the family for generations and centuries! Young, old, and family growers on Maui, Moloka'i, Hawai'i, O'ahu, and Kaua'i islands. Includes history/culture of kalo, Issues related to land and water, uses of kalo, and prospects for the future.
Riding Giants is story about big wave surfers who have become heroes and legends in their sport. Directed by the skateboard guru Stacy Peralta.
In the years following the Civil Rights movement and the passage of Title IX in 1972, Dr. Donnis Thompson (a headstrong African-American female coach), Patsy Mink (the first Asian-American U.S. congresswoman), and Beth McLachlin (the team captain of a rag-tag female volleyball team), battled discrimination from the halls of Washington D.C. to the dusty volleyball courts of the University of Hawaii, fighting for the rights of young women to play sports.
A 1973 concert by Elvis Presley that was broadcast live via satellite on January 14, 1973. The concert took place at the Honolulu International Center in Honolulu and aired in over 40 countries across Asia and Europe. Viewing figures have been estimated at over 1 billion viewers world wide, and the show was the most expensive entertainment special at the time, costing $2.5 million.
Since South and North Korea's liberation in 1945, North Korea, a communist dictatorship that suppresses freedom and oppresses human rights, and South Korea, which has entered the path of economic prosperity and advanced countries based on freedom and democracy, have taken different paths. How did the two countries with the same language, history, and race, become divided into two extreme countries? A work that highlights the sacrifices and struggles of President Syngman Rhee and the first generation of founding members who worked to create and protect today's Republic of Korea over the past 70 years of history.
Honeymooners, tourists and surfers flock to Hawaiian shores every year, but life wasn't always serene in the tropical paradise. In the 1890s, the islands -- ruled by Queen Liliuokalani -- faced financial ruin thanks to colonial business interests and the U.S. government, which rescinded Hawaii's preferential sugar market position. "The American Experience" recounts the events and intrigues that resulted in the monarch's ouster ... at gunpoint.
Journey to the seemingly idyllic world of Native Hawaiians, whose communities are surrounded by experimental test sites for genetically engineered seed corn and pesticides sprayed upwind of their homes, schools, hospitals, and shorelines.
A documentary on the origin, meanings and uses of the gesture. The shaka sign is reputed to be over a century old, but its origins are the stuff of myths and legends. It turns out that kupuna (Hawaiian elders) have kept the story secret for almost a century. Why? They didn't want it told incorrectly or commercialized. But given advancing age and a world in need, they decided it was time to share the story.
Shot entirely on 16mm, Super 8 and 35mm movie film, "The Bruce Movie" is an in-depth look at one of the most renowned surfers on the planet: Bruce Irons. Some have described Bruce as, "A freak", "Unpredictably spontaneous", "Explosive" and "The deadliest guy on tour". Bruce's uncanny tube riding ability and high flying aerial attack will leave you awestruck. Along his path, Bruce has won surfing's most prestigious event: The Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational. In the film you will also witness his frustrating first year on the World Championship Tour; in typical Bruce fashion, he waits until the last second to regain a spot on the WCT where he makes the final at one of his favorite waves: Pipeline. This first film on Bruce Irons will go down in history as a must have in every surfer's library.
As if they were showing their film to a few friends in their home, the Johnsons describe their trip across the world, which begins in the South Pacific islands of Hawaii, Samoa, Australia, the Solomons (where they seek and find cannibals), and New Hebrides. Thence on to Africa via the Indian Ocean, Suez Canal, North Africa, and the Nile River to lion country in Tanganyika. (They are briefly joined in Khartum by George Eastman and Dr. Al Kayser.) Taking a safari in the Congo, the Johnsons see animals and pygmies, and travel back to Uganda, British East Africa, and Kenya.
A passionate ukulele player, cartoonist Joann Sfar ("The Rabbi's Cat") flies to Hawaii to explore the history of the little instrument, as well as the culture that surrounds it. For the pocket guitar, imported in 1879 by the Portuguese from Madeira who had come to harvest sugar cane, is the vector of a philosophy specific to the archipelago: the spirit of "Aloha", which condenses hospitality, joy, love and respect. With brushes in hand, Joann Sfar set out in search of the ideal instrument, meeting craftsmen, musicians, dancers and guardians of Hawaiian culture.
An in-depth look at the making of Lilo & Stitch (2002).
The Night Marchers follows a "real" documentary crew who have strangely disappeared following a journey to chilling Hawaiian site. On a mission to search for the site where ancient Hawaiian spirits are rumored to appear at night, a five-person documentary crew vanishes -- leaving only their footage. Kevin Peterson, the crew's consultant, becomes concerned about the crew, and flies to Hawaii to search for them. Having no luck, he contacts local police and receives the tapes. Using that footage, Peterson and the police try to piece together the fate of the crew -- did the mysterious spirits intervene?
Endangered Hawaiʻi produced by American Bird Conservancy (ABC) with funding by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and narrated by actor Richard Chamberlain. The film explores the on-going bird extinction crisis in Hawaiʻi that has led to about 70 percent of all native bird species in the state becoming extinct. With beautiful footage of many of Hawaiʻi’s stunning birds and their habitats, the film showcases the unique biodiversity of our 50th state and explains the environmental crisis that has caused Hawaiʻi to become known as the “Bird Extinction Capital of the World.” It describes the nature of the crisis, its causes, and current efforts to implement solutions for species on the brink.
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