>> REEL WAHINE OF HAWAI'I IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS.

AND BY KAMEHAMEHA SCHOOLS CHAMPIONS EVERY HAWAIIAN LEARNER TO EXPLORE THEIR POTENTIAL TO LEAD OUR LAHUI AND INSPIRE THE WORLD.

HANAI I KE KEIKI, OLA KA LAHUI -- NURTURE THE CHILD AND THE LAHUI THRIVES.

>> OH, MY GOD.

THAT WAS SO SICK.

WAIT.

DO YOU WANT TO SEE IT?

WAIT, LOOK.

>> SURPRISE!

NO WAY!

♪ >> SO WHAT FILMMAKING MEANS TO ME PERSONALLY, IS A COMMUNITY MY VOICE IS WORTH BEING HEARD.

AND I HAVE A STORY TO TELL AND I HAVE A PERSPECTIVE TO SHARE.

YOU'RE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PAST, BUT YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO KNOW THE PAST.

WE JUST GOT TO TELL OUR STORIES.

>> MY FILMS CALL FOR AN OPEN MIND AND A WILLINGNESS TO EXPLORE SOMETHING.

>> FILMMAKING IS KIND OF A DREAMSCAPE FOR ME.

I JUST LIKE TO CAPTURE LIFE AS BEAUTIFULLY AS I CAN.

♪ >> FOR ME, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO BUILD A FILM COMMUNITY HERE AND NOT ALWAYS BE LOOKING TO HOLLYWOOD AND REPLICATING THOSE FORMS OF STORYTELLING.

>> JUST BE OPEN AND SEE OTHER FILMS.

♪ HALF OF OUR WORLD IS WOMEN.

AND TOLD BY WOMEN (ANN MARIE) SILENCE FLATTENS EVERYTHING AROUND YOU.

IF YOU RAISE YOUR VOICE, YOU RAISE THE AWARENESS OF PEOPLE AROUND YOU AND YOU RAISE OTHERS.

SILENCE CAN BE A TOOL, BUT NOT IN THIS SITUATION.

YOU KNOW, I GREW UP IN THE AREA CALLED HAWAI'I KAI AND THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THA..

BUT IT'S A DEVELOPMENT NAME.

IT CAME FROM A DEVELOPER.

IF WE CHANGE THE NAME IN OUR GENEALOGY, WE CHANGE OUR HISTORY.

IF WE CHANGE THE NAME OF A LAND NAME, WE CHANGE ITS HISTORY AND SOMETIMES THAT'S PURPOSEFUL BECAUSE IT'S EASIER TO BULLDOZE AND CONCRETE WHEN YOU DO THAT OVER A NEW NAME.

I MEAN, WHEN YOU SAY MAUNALUA, THE MOMENT THAT WORD LEAVES YOUR MOUTH, THAT BREATH TIES WITH A THOUSAND YEARS OF PEOPLE WHO CAME BEFORE YOU WHO SAID THAT WORD.

YOU'RE PART OF THAT NARRATIVE.

(CHANTS IN HAWAIIAN) (CHANTS IN HAWAIIAN) (ANN MARIE) WITH HAWAI'I KAI, DEVELOPMENT.

MAUNALUA, A CULTURAL NAME.

HAWAI'I KAI, A NAME THAT GOES BACK MAYBE 60 YEARS.

MAUNALUA, A NAME THAT GOES BACK OVER A THOUSAND YEARS.

AND THEY TELL VERY DIFFERENT STORIES, DON'T THEY?

HAWAI'I KAI, THE BUILDING ON THE LAND.

MAUNALUA, THE STORY OF THE LAND.

I FORGOT WHO SAID IT FIRST.

BUT WE DIE TWO DEATHS.

WE DIE OUR PHYSICAL DEATH.

THEN IT'S A DEATH WHEN PEOPLE FORGET WHO WE ARE, THEY FORGET OUR NAME.

I MEAN, OUR KUPUNA LIVE ON BECAUSE WE SAY THEIR NAMES.

I ALWAYS THINK IT'S LIKE THE RADIO.

OUR KUPUNA ON A RADIO STATION THAT'S 24/7.

WE'RE JUST NOT TUNED INTO IT YET.

WHEN WE START TUNING IN THEN YOU GET THE WHOLE BREAKDOWN OF, OH MY GOSH, THERE'S SO MUCH HERE TO DO.

AND AND YOU CAN'T STAND ON THE SIDELINES.

(HOMEALANI NARRATOR) THE KUPAU FAMILY HOME WAS IN KALIH.. ROSE STREET.

(ANN MARIE) I CAN'T SAY I KNOW WHERE IT STARTED.

I MEAN, THERE'S DEFINITELY SEEDS THAT WERE PLANTED.

I WAS EXTREMELY CLOSE TO MY GRANDMA KUPAU AND SHE WOULD TELL ME ALL KINDS OF STORIES OF, YOU KNOW, WHEN LIFE WAS IN KALIHI WHEN MY MOM AND MY AUNTIES AND UNCLES WERE YOUNG.

AND I LOVE THOSE STORIES.

YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS SAY I DON'T REMEMBER THE SPECIFICS BUT IT'S THE WAY SHE MADE ME FEEL.

WHEN I WAS A YOUNG GIRL, SHE GAVE ME MY GRANDFATHER'S MILITARY ID TAGS, DOG TAGS.

HE DIED THE YEAR I WAS BORN.

AND ALL THESE YEARS LATER I DID A FILM ON HIM AND THAT SEED WAS PLANTED BY MY GRANDMOTHER WHEN I WAS A YOUNG TEENAGER.

(THE HAWAIIAN ROOM UNKNOWN) MOST OF THE DANCERS CAME FROM, YOU KNOW, MY AUNTIE LEILANI, MY AUNTIE PUNANI, AUNTIE MAIKI AIU, KENT GERRARD SOME OF THE OLD TIME, YOU KNOW, KUMU HULA.

(ANN MARIE) I DON'T KNOW, I THINK KUPUNA PLANT THINGS FOR US, RIGHT?

THEY PUT THINGS AROUND US AND THEY NEVER MAKE US CHOOSE.

THEY GAVE IS A CHOICE.

BECAUSE THAT'S MY AGENCY.

WHAT AM I GOING TO DO WITH THAT INFORMATION?

(HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TUTU RUTH NARRATOR) WHEN WE FINALLY REACH THE ROAD INTO TO WAIPI'O VALLEY, TUTU INSISTED WE WALK DOWN.

EVERYONE HAD TROUBLE KEEPING UP WITH HER, INCLUDING HER SON, YAMA.

(ANN MARIE) SOMEONE ASKED ME ONCE HOW DID I KNOW TO DO THE TUTU RUTH STORY BECAUSE I WAS ACTUALLY DOING LOOKING AT A STORY ON PIG HUNTING.

AND THERE WAS A PICTURE OF HER ON THE WALL IN HER SON'S HOUSE.

IT WAS THIS BIG PHOTO.

AND I LOOKED AND I FELT LIKE I GOT HIT IN MY STOMACH.

AND I SAID, WHO IS THAT?

AND HE SAID, THAT'S MY MOM.

AND THE NEXT WEEKEND I WAS ON HAWAI'I ISLAND.

(TUTU RUTH) DON'T YOU KNOW THAT I'M PRETTY IN THE PICTURE (YAMA) THAT NO LOOK LIKE YOU.

AYE, YOU LOOK KIND OF SEXY IN THIS PICTURE.

(TUTURUTH) ME, WHEN YOU LOOK, EH, JUST LIKE THE QUEEN OF SPAIN.

(YAMA) YOU LIKE THE QUEEN OF WAIPI'O VALLEY, YOU.

(ANN MARIE) I THINK HAWAI'I• IT'S SUCH A BEAUTIFUL AND SPECIAL AND MAGICAL PLACE TO LIVE.

AND IT'S ALSO VERY CHALLENGING WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT ISSUES OF HOW WE IDENTIFY OURSELVES AND THE SPACES THAT WE HOLD IN COMMUNITY.

AND SO MANY OF US ARE MIXED RACE.

SO HOW DO WE HONOR THOSE DIFFERENT SIDES OF WHO WE ARE?

I'M HAWAIIAN IRISH SCOTCH.

TUTU RUTH WAS JAPANESE HAWAIIAN, AND SHE EMBRACED BEING -- SHE LOVED BEING JAPANESE, RIGHT.

SHE COULD BALANCE THAT.

AND I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, YOU KNOW, WE SOMETIMES WE'RE FIGHTING WITH WHO WE ARE AND WHERE WE FIT IN HERE.

AND IT WAS THE BEGINNING OF THE SETTLING IN MY MIND OF I JUST NEED TO BE WHO I AM AND TELL THE STORIES THAT I NEED TO TELL.

(NARRATOR - ANN MARIE) I WAS WONDERING WHY YOU STILL HAVE TO WORK SO HARD?

(TUTU RUTH) MY CHILDREN ALL GOT MARRIED.

AND THEN MY HUSBAND DIED.

NOBODY IS GOING TO PUT THE FOOD IN YOUR MOUTH.

WE HAVE TO WORK.

(ANN MARIE) THESE TWO KUPUNA, TUTU RUTH AND HOMELANI, MY GRANDFATHER OLIVER KUPAU, VERY TWO DIFFERENT HAWAIIANS.

TUTU RUTH WAS THE STORY OF A WOMAN.

BUT THE STORY OF A WOMAN STRUGGLING TO MAKE ENDS MEET AND TO RAISE CHILDREN.

BOTH OF THEM, THEY'RE POLITICAL FILMS.

TUTU RUTH, YOU CAN SAY WHAT HAPPENED TO HAWAIIAN WOMEN?

YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENED TO LAND, WHAT HAPPENED TO SPACE THAT WAS HAWAIIAN.

MY GRANDFATHER.

WHAT HAPPENED ON O'AHU?

WHAT ABOUT THE MILITARY COMING TO HAWAI'I?

WHAT ABOUT HAWAIIAN MEN JOINING THE MILITARY?

WHAT HAPPENED TO FAMILIES?

WHY DON'T WE SPEAK OUR HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE ANYMORE?

THERE'S NO DENYING THERE IS INJUSTICE.

AND THAT INJUSTICE CONTINUES TODAY.

YOU'RE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PAST, BUT YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO KNOW THE PAST AND ALSO TO UNDERSTAND A SIMPLE STORY CAN BE VERY HARD TO TELL.

BUT IN THAT SIMPLENESS, IT JUST ROOTS OUT.

I SAW THIS POEM.

OH, MY GOD.

THAT'S JUST LIKE MY WORK.

IN FACT, I HAVE IT TAPED UP IN FRONT OF MY EDITOR ON THE WALL.

EVEN THE SMALL POEMS MEAN SOMETHING.

THEY ARE OFTEN WHALES IN THE BODIES OF TINY FISH.

AND THAT'S KIND OF WHAT GUIDES ME.

THOSE WHALES IN THOSE TINY FISH.

BECAUSE THE BIG FISH ARE ALWAYS GOING TO CATCH YOUR EYE, RIGHT?

AND THEY'RE ALWAYS GOING TO BE SEEN.

BUT THOSE SMALL FISH HAVE SOMETHING POWERFUL WITHIN THEM.

(UNKNOWN ANNOUNCER) LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THIS IS IT.

(ANN MARIE) I'VE TRIED TO CELEBRATE THE THINGS THAT I CAN IN MY CULTURE, IN HAWAIIAN CULTURE.

I DON'T WANT TO INTIMIDATE MY AUDIENCE.

I WANT THEM TO STEP THROUGH THE DOOR WITH ME ON THIS JOURNEY.

AND FOR MYSELF, YOU KNOW, ANN MARIE KIRK IS NOT THE MOST NATIVE HAWAIIAN NAME, BUT I LOVE THAT NAME.

IT REFLECTS MY PARENTS AND THAT GENEALOGY.

AND THEN MY MIDDLE NAME IS NALANI.

AND I THOUGHT, PERFECT.

IT'S AT THE HEART OF MY NAME, IT'S AT THE CENTER OF WHO I AM.

IF I STAY TRUE TO THE GIRL WHO IS TOLD THAT STORIES BY MY GRANDMOTHER IN KALIHI, MY FATHER GROWING UP IN THE BRONX AND ALL THAT, THAT EXPERIENCE WAS LIKE.

STAY TRUE TO THE STORY.

AND WHEN THEY TRUST US, THEY REVEAL THEMSELVES.

AND IN THAT BECOMES THE GIFT OF REVEALING WHO YOU ARE AS A PERSON.

BECAUSE WHAT HAS TOUCHED YOU THAT IS WHAT'S GOING TO GUIDE YOU.

AND THAT'S HOW I'VE WORKED.

TRUST YOURSELF, DO THE WORK AND FAIL AND THEN RISE UP AND THEN FAIL AND THEN RISE UP.

THAT'S THE PROCESS.

IT'S LIKE THE OCEAN TIDE.

YOU KNOW, IT COMES AND GOES, BUT THE WAVES CONTINUE TO SHORE.

WE'VE JUST GOT TO TELL OUR STORIES.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (JANA) MY VOICE IS WORTH BEING HEARD AND I HAVE A STORY TO TELL AND I HAVE A PERSPECTIVE TO SHARE.

WHEN I LOOK BACK, I REALIZE THAT I ACTUALLY HAD BOTH FILMMAKING AND THEATER IN MY LIFE FROM A VERY YOUNG AGE BECAUSE OF MY GRANDFATHER AND HIS VIDEO CAMERA.

(GRANDFATHER) OKAY, I'M GOING TO MAKE IT GO...

THE PRINTING GO UP, ALL RIGHT?

(JANA) HE TOOK SO MUCH VIDEO OF ME GROWING UP.

SO FROM ABOUT 18 MONTHS OR TWO YEARS OLD, I WAS WELL AWARE OF THE CAMERA AND WHERE THE CAMERA WAS AND PLAYING TO THE CAMERA AND WHAT IT WAS TO PRODUCE A LITTLE SEGMENT OF SOMETHING.

(YOUNG JANA) CAN WE BEGIN WITH MY FIRST DANCE?

(JANA) AND I DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE THAT IT WAS ALL GOING INTO ME.

♪ >> MOLOKA'I IS AN INCREDIBLY SPECIAL PLACE.

IT'S GOT AN ENERGY TO ME THAT'S VERY CALM AND WELCOMING.

THESE ARE THE ROADS THAT MY DAD TAUGHT ME TO DRIVE ON WHEN I WAS 13 YEARS OLD.

BECAUSE, AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE'S NOBODY ON THEM.

SO IT'S PRETTY SAFE.

THE PACE HERE IS REALLY SLOW AND PEACEFUL AND VERY FAMILY AND COMMUNITY ORIENTED.

THE 'AINA, THE LAND HERE IS VALUED AND APPRECIATED AND WORKED.

I FEEL LIKE EVERYWHERE ELSE CHANGES SO MUCH SO OFTEN.

BUT HERE IT'S JUST MOLOKA'I.

CHURCH IS THE SAME.

COCONUT GROVE IS THE SAME.

TOWN IS THE SAME.

EVEN THE RESTAURANT THAT BURNED DOWN WHEN I WAS A KID IS STILL THERE.

IT'S STILL BURNT DOWN.

SO I STARTED MAKING MY FIRST FILMS HERE ON MOLOKA'I WHEN I WAS ABOUT EIGHT OR NINE YEARS OLD WITH THE LITTLE VHS VIDEO CAMERA THAT MY DAD HAD BOUGHT.

AND I WAS ALSO PRODUCING PLAYS IN SCHOOL HERE.

(PRINCE) DO SOMETHING.

(YOUNG JANA) LIKE WHAT?

(PRINCE) I DON'T KNOW.

(JANA) THAT I THINK SPARKED MY INTEREST IN STORYTELLING AND NOT JUST BEING AN ACTRESS, BUT ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT BEING BEHIND THE CAMERA.

SO I'VE ALWAYS BEEN A NATURAL LEADER AND FROM A YOUNG AGE, HELD LEADERSHIP POSITIONS AND A PRODUCER ON A FILM SET IS THE LEADER.

THEY SET THE CULTURE FOR THE FILM, FOR THE PROJECT, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I'VE WORKED REALLY HARD O..

MANAGER, AS A LEADER..

IT'S SETTING THE RIGHT TONE AND THE INTENTION THAT WE'RE HERE TO DO SOMETHING PONO, THAT WE'RE HERE TO DO SOMETHING FUN.

SO AS A PRODUCER, A LOT OF MY WORK IS ABOUT GOOGLE SHEETS AND SCHEDULES AND BUDGETS AND THINGS THAT YOU WOULDN'T NECESSARILY THINK ARE ABOUT EXPRESSING YOURSELF OR PERFORMING.

BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, AS A PRODUCER, I DO EXPRESS MYSELF AND PERFORM A LOT AS FAR AS MY VOICE IN WHAT PROJECTS I'M WORKING ON.

AND GOING FORWARD, I'M COMMITTED TO REALLY EXERCISING THAT ABILITY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE IN CHOOSING WOMEN CENTERED FILMS, HAWAIIAN CENTERED FILMS, ASIAN CENTERED FILMS.

SHARING VOICES THAT HAVE BEEN ERASED OR SILENCED.

BY TAKING THOSE INDIGENOUS PERSPECTIVES, COMBINED WITH MODERN TECHNOLOGY, WE CAN FIND A WAY FORWARD AS A HUMAN CIVILIZATION THAT WILL ACTUALLY HELP TO HEAL ALL OF US AND THE EARTH, VERSUS THE PATH WE'RE GOING DOWN NOW.

SO I'M VERY PROUD THAT THIS YEAR AT THE LOS ANGELES ASIAN PACIFIC FILM FESTIVAL, I HELPED PRODUCE THREE FILMS AND THEY COVER FIVE DIFFERENT LANGUAGES.

THEY FEATURE 'OLELO HAWAI'I, TAGALOG, SAMOAN, TONGAN AND ENGLISH.

(JANA) THAT'S SPECIAL TO ME THAT WE'RE GETTING THOSE LANGUAGES OUT IN THE WORLD FOR PEOPLE WHO KNOW THEM TO HEAR THEM AND FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T KNOW THEM TO HEAR THEM.

I THINK THAT SIGN LANGUAGE IS A HUGE PART OF THE KINDS OF FILMS THAT I'M GOING TO BE MAKING AND DEAF CULTURE.

MY MOM IS A SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETER.

I DO HAVE A DEAF FOSTER BROTHER.

I ASKED HIM TO STAR IN ONE OF MY FILMS AND HE DID GREAT.

(JANA) HELLO, I'M JANA PARK MOORE.

I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF HAWAI'I FILMMAKERS COLLECTIVE.

IN MY LIFE AS A VERY BUSY WORKING MOM WHO HAS A TODDLER AND TWO MIDDLE SCHOOLERS AND VOLUNTARILY RUNS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION AND WORKS AT A SCHOOL AND DOES PROBABLY 4 TO 7 PROJECTS AT A TIME AS A PRODUCER, I FEEL SO, SO LUCKY TO HAVE FOUND SOMETHING THAT FEEDS MY SOUL.

THAT I KNOW THAT I WILL DO UNTIL THE DAY THAT I DIE.

IF YOU'RE TRYING TO HAVE ANY SORT OF LEADERSHIP ROLE IN THE FILM INDUSTRY AS A WOMAN, THERE ARE A MULTITUDE OF CHALLENGES PERSONALLY, PROFESSIONALLY, THERE'S SEXISM.

THERE'S OLD BOYS CLUBS.

THERE'S JUST CHUNKS OF TIME IN MY LIFE WHERE I SIMPLY CANNOT WORK BECAUSE I'M CHOOSING TO BIRTH MY CHILDREN AND THEN RAISE THEM.

AND I REMEMBER A REALLY IMPORTANT CONVERSATION I HAD WHERE I ASKED A LOCAL OWNER OF A PRODUCTION STUDIO WHAT HIS ADVICE WAS FOR ME TO EVENTUALLY BECOME A DIRECTOR POTENTIALLY FOR HIM BECAUSE HE WAS INTERESTED IN HIRING ME AS AN INTERN.

AND HE ASKED WHAT MY LONG TERM GOALS WERE, AND I SAID, YOU KNOW, MAYBE DIRECTING.

AND HIS RESPONSE WAS, YOU KNOW, I JUST CAN'T PITCH A FEMALE DIRECTOR TO THESE, TO MY CLIENTS.

♪ ♪ (JANA) HALF OF OUR WORLD IS WOMEN, AND HALF OF THE STORIES SHOULD BE TOLD BY WOMEN.

TO ME, THAT'S VERY LOGICAL.

SO I COME FROM A LONG LINE OF VERY STRONG, INDEPENDENT, TRAILBLAZING WOMEN.

MY GREAT GRANDMOTHER, MY GRANDMOTHER, MY MOTHER.

AND I WANT TO CARRY ON THAT LEGACY.

AND I DO IT THROUGH FILM AND STORYTELLING.

AND THAT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT KULEANA, AND IT'S IT'S POWERFUL, AND I TAKE IT VERY SERIOUSLY.

♪ ♪ ♪ >> SURPRISE.

SURPRISE!

(STEPHANIE) NO WAY!

>> WOO-HOO!

>> DON'T GET UP.

DON'T GE.. >> DEEDEE!

HI!

♪ ♪ (STEPHANIE) I LIKE TO DESCRIBE US AS A MILITARY FAMILY.

FILIPINO AMERICAN ROOTED IN HAWAII, BUT WITH TIES TO THE PHILIPPINES.

THE FAMILY HAD SEVEN CHILDREN.

ALL GIRLS.

I'M THE SECOND TO THE ELDEST.

♪ SOMETHING THAT CALLED ON EVERYTHING IN ME.

I HAD TO USE EVERYTHING THAT I HAD LEARNED.

EVERYTHING THAT I HAD GAINED AS A NEWSPAPER REPORTER.

ALL MY SKILLS CAME INTO PLAY, AND I DON'T THINK THERE WAS ANYTHING ELSE CALLING ME THAT FELT SO COMPLETE.

MY DAD WAS IN THE MILITARY, IN THE ARMY, SO WE TRAVELED EVERY 2 TO 4 YEARS WE WERE TRAVELING.

MOVING TO A DIFFERENT COUNTRY OR MOVING TO A DIFFERENT STATE.

IT JUST MADE ME MORE COMFORTABLE WITH PEOPLE AND NEW PLACES.

I WENT TO RADIO SCHOOL AND IN THE RADIO BROADCAST SCHOOL, THAT'S WHERE I TRAINED MY VOICE, LEARNED TO READ THE NEWS AND, YOU KNOW, IT WAS LIKE A DISC JOCKEY, GOT TO SPIN RECORDS.

THAT'S REALLY THE ONLY SKILL I HAD.

BUT IT WAS ENOUGH TO GET A JOB.

♪ >> WHEN I BECAME A BORN AGAIN CHRISTIAN, I WAS LIKE 27.

AND THAT WAS A VERY, VERY IMPORTANT FOCUS FOR ME.

BUT IT AFFECTED MY FILMMAKING AS WELL BECAUSE I WAS LOOKING FOR MEANINGFUL SUBJECTS, NOT JUST ANYTHING.

SOME ANGLE TO THE STORY WHERE THERE WAS SOME ELEMENT OF FAITH THAT I WAS EXPLORING OR A PERSON OF FAITH THAT I WAS EXPLORING.

YOU KNOW, FATHER DAMIEN, I DID A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT HIM.

(NARRATOR - ROBIN WILLIAMS) DAMIEN HAD DONE WHAT NO OTHER WHITE MAN HAD DARED.

TO LIVE ON A REMOTE HAWAIIAN PENINSULA AMONG THOUSANDS OF OUTCASTS AFFLICTED WITH WHAT WAS THEN CONSIDERED THE MOST DREAD DISEASE ON EARTH.

(STEPHANIE) I THINK WE THINK OF SAINTS, YOU KNOW, WE THINK OF THEM AS LIKE BEING PURELY PURE, YOU KNOW.

BUT HE WAS NOT.

HE WAS, HE WAS HUMAN.

AND I JUST THOUGHT THAT THAT'S YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT SOMEONE.

NOT THE LEGEND OF BUT WHO THEY WERE IN REAL LIFE.

(NARRATOR - ROBIN WILLIAMS) WITH THIS REVELATION, DAMIEN WROTE, I AM A LEPER.

THERE IS NO MORE DOUBT ABOUT ME.

BLESSED BE THE GOOD GOD.

I AM PERFECTLY RESIGNED TO MY LOT.

PEOPLE PITY ME AND THINK ME UNFORTUNATE.

BUT I THINK MYSELF THE HAPPIEST OF MISSIONARIES.

(STEPHANIE) HOW YOU TREAT PEOPLE HAS GOT TO BE PART OF THE WORK, YOU KNOW.

THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT VALUE TO ME.

IS THAT YOU TREAT PEOPLE RESPECTFULLY.

(NARRATOR) WHAT WILL BECOME OF HAWAI'I?

WHAT WILL LEPROSY DO TO OUR LAND?

♪ ♪ ♪ (TOUR GUIDE) ANYBODY COMING ON THE TOUR?

GET ON THE BUS.

♪ >> YOU GOT TO UNDERSTAND KALAUPAPA.

KALAUPAPA EVEN WAY BACK IN THE OLD HAWAIIAN DAYS WAS A VERY SPECIAL PLACE.

THEY HAD MANY SACRED CEREMONIES HELD HERE EVERY SIX OR SEVEN YEARS.

THEY'D COME FROM ALL OVER THE ISLANDS.

SPECIAL GATHERINGS HERE, LONG BEFORE THEY EVER HEARD OF LEPROSY IN HAWAI'I, LONG BEFORE THEY EVER HEARD A WHITE MAN IN HAWAI'I.

♪ (STEPHANIE) I WAS UP AGAINST THE DISCOVERY CHANNEL.

I WAS UP AGAINST SAN FRANCISCO, PBS, YOU KNOW, PRETTY HEAVY HITTERS IN THE TV WORLD AND TO BE ABLE TO TRIUMPH AND WIN THE AWARD OVER THESE BIGGER ENTITIES, BIGGER THAN ME, BIGGER THAN PUBLIC TELEVISION HAWAI'I.

YEAH, IT MADE ME FEEL VERY PROUD.

(NARRATOR) THERE ARE SOME IMPORTANT THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE FILIPINO WOMAN.

SHE IS TREATED AT ALL TIMES BY HER MENFOLK WITH THE GREATEST RESPECT.

SHE IS DEVOTED TO HER RELIGION AND TO HER FAMILY.

YOU WILL FIND HER MODEST AND MODERN.

SHE LISTENS TO THE RADIO, GOES TO THE MOVIES, DANCES.

SHE UNDERSTANDS AND APPRECIATES THE MEANING OF A LIBERATED PHILIPPINES, AS WELL AS THE MEN IN OUR FAMILY.

(STEPHANIE) STRANGE LAND IS MY MOTHER'S STORY OF COMING TO AMERICA.

SHE'S FROM THE PHILIPPINES.

MY DAD, WHO'S FROM HAWAI'I, MET MY MOM IN THE PHILIPPINES RIGHT AFTER THE WAR, ACTUALLY.

(STEPHANIE'S MOM) I'M NOT IN THE SAME CULTURE WITH YOUR FATHER.

HIS VISAYAN CULTURE AND MY SPANISH, YOU KNOW, CULTURE IS UNMATCHABLE.

IT'S NOT THE SAME.

I CAME TO A FAMILY WHERE THEY'RE GAMBLERS.

I CAME TO A FAMILY WHERE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE TAKING CARE OF CHICKENS THE WHOLE AFTERNOON.

YOU KNOW, CARD GAME.

IT'S BEEN LIKE THAT.

YOU KNOW, I COULDN'T COPE.

AND I WAS ALWAYS CRYING AND KNOW, HE'S OUT TO THE FOOTBALL GAME.

BASKETBALL GAME.

I DON'T KNOW.

IT WAS JUST A LIFE THAT I DIDN'T EXPECT.

YOU KNOW?

♪ (STEPHANIE) MY FILMS CALL FOR AN OPEN MIND AND A WILLINGNESS TO EXPLORE SOMETHING.

IT'S PART OF MY RESPECT FOR THE AUDIENCE.

NO WAY!

RICO.

OH, MY GOSH.

AW, LOOK AT HIM.

OH, MY GOSH.

HELLO, LITTLE RICO.

I JUST FOLLOW MYSELF.

I FOLLOW MY HEART.

I TRY TO REMAIN AS AUTHENTIC AS I CAN.

FILMMAKING HAS GIVEN ME SO MUCH MORE THAN WHAT I EVER DREAMED IT COULD GIVE ME.

IT OFFERED ME GREAT ADVENTURE.

THE FRIENDSHIPS AND PEOPLE THAT BECAME IMPORTANT IN MY LIFE.

IT'S A VERY RICH AND REWARDING LIFE.

YEAH.

♪ (SANCIA) I'VE COME TO UNDERSTAND HAWAI'I IN THE LAST FEW YEARS AS THE PIKO OF MOANA NUI AND THE GREATER PACIFIC AND HOW IT CONNECTS TO SO MANY DIFFERENT PLACES THAT TOUCH THE PACIFIC.

I THINK IN MY FILMMAKING THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT IS TRYING TO THINK ABOUT THE WEB OF RELATIONSHIPS THAT GO OUTWARD FROM HAWAI'I.

♪ ♪ ♪ (SANCIA) I'M INTERESTED IN THE POTENTIAL OF FILM BEING ABLE TO WEAVE PLACES AND PEOPLE AND TIMES TOGETHER.

I THINK THAT A MAT OR A MOENA OR TATAMI ANY KIND OF WOVEN MAT IS A GREAT METAPHOR FOR THINKING ABOUT HOW WE MAKE FILMS AND THE PROCESS OF MAKING FILMS.

I THINK IT ALWAYS STARTS WITH TRUST.

(GRANDFATHER SPEAKING JAPANESE) (SANCIA) BAKUFUU, HINOUMI IS A FILM THAT I MADE WITH MY JIJI, WHO IS A SURVIVOR OF THE TOKYO AIR RAIDS, WHICH IS ONE OF THE MOST DESTRUCTIVE AIR RAIDS IN HUMAN HISTORY.

AND I THINK FOR ME, THIS FILM IS AN ACT OF HEALING, MUCH LIKE CARING FOR THE LAND AFTER ITS DEVASTATION.

I LIKE TO PLAY WITH FORM.

I LIKE TO BE EXPERIMENTAL.

(GRANDFATHER SPEAKING JAPANESE) (SANCIA) I LOVE TO SPEND TIME WITH MY GRANDFATHER WHEN HE IS PRAYING ON HIS ALTAR.

AND AT THIS ALTAR THERE IS A PHOTOGRAPH OF HIS MOTHER, MY GREAT GRANDMOTHER AND MY MOTHER, HIS DAUGHTER.

AND I ALWAYS LIKE TO THINK ABOUT SORT OF THE CONTINUITY BETWEEN THE GENERATIONS THERE.

AND HE IS PRAYING IN FRONT AND IN BACK OF HIM.

I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN KIHEI.

I REALLY FEEL THAT THE ELEMENTS, THE WINDS AND THE RAINS AND THE NA'ULU CLOUD THAT GOES FROM 'ULUPALAKUA ALL THE WAY DOWN TO KAHO'OLAWE.

THOSE ELEMENTS THEMSELVES RAISED ME IN A LOT OF WAYS, YOU KNOW?

MY PARENTS WERE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER, SO I WAS RAISED IN A COMMUNITY THAT WAS VERY DIVERSE OF MUSICIANS AND KAHU AND FLORISTS, PHOTOGRAPHERS, VIDEOGRAPHERS.

AND, YOU KNOW, BEING HIS ASSISTANT, GROWING UP, I WAS THE ONE, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES CARRYING HIS CAMERA OR COLOR CORRECTING FOR HIM.

(SANCIA SPEAKING HAWAIIAN) (SANCIA) AND SO THE THINGS THAT WE CHOOSE TO GIVE LIFE TO AND PRESERVE AND CONTINUE TO TELL THAT STORY AND THAT THAT'S WHAT'S IMPORTANT.

I THINK PEOPLE SHOULD ALSO KNOW THAT HAWAI'I IS AN OCCUPIED COUNTRY.

AND THAT THOSE OF US WHO LIVE HERE THAT ARE NOT HAWAIIAN SHOULD ALSO, YOU KNOW, HAVE A SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY TOWARDS CREATING A BETTER, A BETTER FUTURE FOR HAWAI'I.

(NARRATOR) SHE STARTED WHEN SHE WAS 15 YEARS OLD, AND SHE REALLY NEVER STOPPED EVERYTHING FROM, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT MANUSCRIPTS AND NEWSPAPERS AND PULLING OUT THE WORDS AND PULLING OUT THE 'OLELO NO'EAU PULLING OUT THE STORIES.

(SANCIA) KA MO'OPUNA I KE ALO WAS ONE OF THE FIRST FILMS THAT I MADE AFTER GRADUATING FROM COLLEGE AND MOVING BACK HOME.

IT WAS MADE IN COLLABORATION WITH THE HAWAI'I COUNCIL FOR THE HUMANITIES AND HONORS MARY KAWENA PUKUI WHO DEDICATED HER LIFE TO 'OLELO HAWAI'I, NA MEA HAWAI'I AND 'IKE KUPUNA.

FOR THOSE OF US THAT RECOGNIZE OUR SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY TO PLACE, I THINK THAT IT'S A BURDEN IN A LOT OF WAYS, AND IT'S HEAVY.

THE WEIGHT OF THE HISTORY OF THIS PLACE IS, IT'S HEAVY.

AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IS AN HONOR, BUT IS ALSO SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, ON AN EVERYDAY LEVEL CAN BE CHALLENGING.

(SANCIA SPEAKING JAPANESE) (SANCIA) MY GOAL FOR BEING MULTILINGUAL OR, YOU KNOW, BEING A PART OF DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES IS TRYING TO SORT OF BE A BRIDGE BETWEEN COMMUNITIES AND PLACES AND PEOPLE.

MY MOTHER PASSED AWAY WHEN I WAS 13, AND I THINK EVER SINCE THEN I'VE DEDICATED MY LIFE TO REMEMBERING.

AND FOR ME, VIDEO IS A TOOL FOR THAT.

MY SISTER, SHE WAS ALWAYS SHARING ALL THESE VIDEOS WITH ME, KIND OF INSPIRED ME TO DO MORE EXPERIMENTAL KIND OF FILMMAKING.

(NARRATOR) 1927.

GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONIES IN WAIKIKI.

(SANCIA) IN 2020, I STARTED KEKAHI WAHI, WHICH IS A FILM COLLECTIVE BASED HERE, AND WE'RE INTERESTED IN DOCUMENTING TRANSFORMATIONS IN HAWAI'I.

FOR ME, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO BUILD A FILM COMMUNITY HERE AND NOT ALWAYS BE LOOKING TO HOLLYWOOD AND REPLICATING THOSE FORMS OF STORYTELLING.

WHEN I HAD GRADUATED COLLEGE AND I WAS STILL ON THE CONTINENT, I HAD THIS DREAM THAT I BIRTHED A HE'E.

AND THIS TAKO JUST CAME OUT OF ME, IT, YOU KNOW, GOT UP LIKE THIS, LOOKED AT ME, AND THEN IT JUST WENT AWAY AND VANISHED.

AFTER THAT EXPERIENCE, I SHARED IT WITH MY UNCLE KAMAUNU KAHAI'ALI'I AND HE INTERPRETED IT FOR ME.

AND HE SAID, YOU KNOW, THE HE'E REPRESENTS MAUI.

AND YOU SHOULD REALLY COME HOME AND HELP TELL THE STORIES OF THIS PLACE.

(LEANNE) SO WHAT HAWAI'I WOMEN IN FILMMAKING MEANS TO ME PERSONALLY IS A COMMUNITY.

THE OTHER THING I LOVE ABOUT HAWAI'I WOMEN IN FILMMAKING IS THAT MY DAUGHTER HAS STARTED TAKING CLASSES AND I SEE NOT ONLY HER GROWTH, BUT ALSO A PASSION GROWING WITHIN HER.

♪ (KA'IULANI) MY NAME IS KA'IULANI FERRER AND LEANNE WAS MY MOM.

I WAS VERY LUCKY BECAUSE ALL MY LIFE I FELT SEEN BY HER.

YOU KNOW, SHE TREATED ME LIKE NOT AS A LITTLE KID, BUT AS A LITTLE PERSON.

SHE WAS ALWAYS VERY OPEN AND TREATED ME WITH RESPECT, WHICH I REALLY LIKED.

SHE DID A REALLY GOOD JOB BALANCING LIKE HOME AND WORK LIFE BECAUSE I NEVER FELT LIKE SHE PRIORITIZED HER WORK OVER ME AND MY BROTHER.

BUT I ALSO DIDN'T THINK THAT SHE WAS ONLY FOCUSED ON US, YOU KNOW.

SHE WAS VERY PROUD OF HER WORK.

SHE WAS IN THE FILM INDUSTRY AND I WANT TO BE IN THAT INDUSTRY AS WELL.

AND I THINK WHAT MOTIVATED HER WAS ME AND MY BROTHER, BECAUSE SHE WANTED US TO NOT LIVE IN A WORLD WHERE, LIKE, STEREOTYPES AND GENDER LIKE PLAYED A BIG ROLE IN THINGS THAT SHE WANTED TO, LIKE, PAVE THE WAY AND TO SHOW, LIKE, WOMEN OF COLOR CAN DO THIS.

WOMEN OF COLOR CAN DO THAT.

I REMEMBER I WAS AROUND SEVEN AND SHE WAS LIKE, DO YOU WANT TO DO SOMETHING FUN?

I WAS LIKE, YEAH, I'LL DO SOMETHING FUN.

THEN SHE JUST SHE SAT ME DOWN EXPLAINED IT TO ME THAT IT WAS AN ALL WOMEN'S FILM CAMP.

I WAS LIKE THAT WAS SO COOL.

BUT AT THAT AGE, I DIDN'T REALLY UNDERSTAND HOW HEAVILY MALE DOMINATED THAT INDUSTRY WAS.

I JUST THOUGHT, IT'S GOING TO BE GREAT.

I'M GOING TO BE AROUND PEOPLE WHO LOVE MAKING MOVIES AND FILMS AND THAT ARE MY GENDER.

AND I WENT, I JUST HAD FUN.

AND I FELL IN LOVE WITH FILMMAKING.

(YOUNG KA'IULANI) YES.

I'M COMING BACK NEXT WEEK TOO.

(KA'IULANI) SHE ALWAYS GIVE ME A LOT OF ADVICE, A LOT OF IT FILMMAKING RELATED, A LOT OF IT, YOU KNOW, JUST ABOUT LIFE, SHE WOULD SAY TO BE PROUD.

ESPECIALLY SINCE THERE IS NOT A LOT OF US, ESPECIALLY THERE'S NOT A LOT OF WOMEN, PERIOD, IN THE FILM INDUSTRY, AND ESPECIALLY NOT A LOT OF WOMEN OF COLOR.

SO SHE WOULD TELL ME TO KEEP PUSHING FORWARD.

I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE HER PATIENCE AND HER EMPATHY BECAUSE SO MY BROTHER'S AUTISTIC AND SHE WAS ALWAYS VERY PATIENT WITH HIM.

SHE WAS ALWAYS VERY PATIENT WITH ME.

I REMEMBER SHE HAD HER OFFICE DECORATED VERY NICELY.

SHE HAD A LOT OF PORTRAITS AND A LOT OF PLANTS.

SHE WANTED HER OFFICE TO BE VERY HOMEY.

AND BEHIND HER DOOR SHE HAD .. MY ARTWORK FROM LIKE PRESCHOOL AND STUFF AND LIKE PICTURES OF ME AND MY BROTHER.

I THOUGHT THAT WAS SWEET.

IT WAS NICE WATCHING HER, YOU KNOW, DO WHAT SHE LOVED AND EXPRESS HERSELF.

IT WAS A LOT OF COMPUTER STUFF, BUT SHE WAS TELLING ME THAT THAT'S WHAT SHE LIKED BECAUSE SHE HAD ALREADY HAD A LOT OF YEARS BEHIND THE CAMERA AND STUFF.

AND THEN SHE COME HOME AND THEN EVEN IF SHE WAS REALLY TIRED, SHE WOULD STILL HAVE ENOUGH ENERGY TO ENTERTAIN US.

AND I ALWAYS FELT VERY LOVED BECAUSE OF THAT.

♪ (FAMILY INGRED..

UNKNOWN) WE WILL DO ..

ENSURE THAT THE FUTURE GENERATION, CAN FARM, CAN EAT.

(KA'IULANI) HER WORK TO ME IS VERY IMPORTANT.

SHE WAS VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT HAWAIIAN CULTURE BECAUSE IT WAS HER CULTURE AND SHE JUST WANTED TO SPREAD AWARENESS ABOUT IT AND LET OTHER PEOPLE KNOW, LIKE, THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL CULTURE.

WE SHOULDN'T JUST LET IT DISAPPEAR.

AND YOU CAN REALLY SEE THAT IN HER FILMS ABOUT HER JUST WANTING PEOPLE TO KNOW AND UNDERSTAND WHERE SHE WAS COMING FROM.

[PAPA MAU: THE WAYFINDER MUSIC] ♪ (LEANNE) PACIFIC..

STORIES ARE VERY RICH AND HAVE A LOT OF MEANING AND PEOPLE CAN RELATE TO IT THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.

SO JUST BE OPEN AND SEEK OTHER FILMS.

(KA'IULANI) I REMEMBER ONE OF HER MOST RECENT FILMS TH..

HELPED OUT ON WAS KAPAEMAHU.

SHE WAS SO PROUD OF IT.

I REMEMBER WHEN SHE WAS SHOWING IT TO ME, SHE WAS LIKE, OH, ISN'T IT REALLY GOOD?

AND I JUST THINK THAT IT WAS WONDERFUL, NOT ONLY FOR THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO FOR THE PACIFIC ISLANDER COMMUNITY, BECAUSE IT SHOWS THAT QUEER PEOPLE HAVE EXISTED FOR YEARS.

IT'S NOT JUST A NEW THING THAT POPPED UP, AND I JUST THINK IT'S BEAUTIFUL HOW THEY WERE INTEGRATED INTO HAWAIIAN CULTURE.

NOT EVEN JUST HAWAIIAN CULTURE, LIKE ALL TYPES OF POLYNESIAN CULTURES.

(LEANNE) WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S AUTHENTIC AND THAT WE MAKE OUR OWN FILMS AS OPPOSED TO OTHERS MAKING IT FOR US.

(KA'IULANI) THERE'S A LOT OF TALK LIKE, OH, I WISH IT WAS LIKE THIS OR LIKE, I WISH IT WAS LIKE THAT.

AND SHE TOOK THE STEPS NECESSARY TO MAKE IT NOW AND NOT WAIT FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO COME.

SHE'S THE ONE WHO WENT OUT AND FOUND OPPORTUNITIES AND IS GIVING IT TO OTHER PEOPLE AND I AM VERY GLAD THAT THERE'S STILL PEOPLE WHO ARE LIKE WILLING TO CARRY IT ON, ESPECIALLY WITH PACIFIC ISLANDERS IN COMMUNICATIONS.

YOU KNOW, THEY'RE STILL GOING STRONG.

ESPECIALLY SINCE IT'S HARD TO LIKE GET STARTED AS A PERSON OF COLOR LIVING IN HAWAI'I.

AND SHE WAS JUST THERE FOR PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T REALLY HAVE THE MEANS BUT HAD GREAT IDEAS AND SHE WOULD HELP THEM BRING IT TO LIFE.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (SHANEIKA) OH, MY GOD.

THAT WAS SO SI..

WAIT.

DO YOU WANT TO SEE IT?

WAIT, LOOK.

OH, MY GOD.

LOOK AT THE LIGHT AND HOW IT LITERALLY JUST COMES THROUGH THE GREEN.

I'M A FILIPINO-AMERICAN.

MY PARENTS WERE IMMIGRANTS, AND SO I'M THE FIRST IN THE FAMILY TO BE BORN ON U.S.

SOIL.

I WAS BORN INTO, LIKE, A REALLY STRICT RELIGIOUS HOUSEHOLD.

I STOOD OUT IN SCHOOL.

LIKE, OH, THAT GIRL, SHE DOESN'T, SHE DOESN'T PLEDGE TO THE FLAG.

LIKE SHE DOESN'T CELEBRATE BIRTHDAYS.

OR I WAS ALWAYS THAT KID IN THE CORNER WHO COULD ..

PARTICIPATE.

I WOULD GET TEASED AND BULLIED SO MUCH AS A KID LIKE, OH, THAT THAT GIRL.

LIKE, SHE'S NOT ONE OF US.

LIKE, NO PLACE WAS SAFE FOR ME.

SO ESSENTIALLY, THE CAMERA BECAME MY SAFE SPACE.

IT WAS MY WAY OF MAKING SENSE OF MY REALITY AND THE WORLD AROUND ME.

AND IT WAS A WAY FOR ME TO PROCESS WHAT I WAS GOING THROUGH AT SUCH A YOUNG AGE, BECAUSE AT THE TIME I DIDN'T HAVE THE.. FOR IT, BUT AT LEAST I COULD FILM SOMETHING THAT HELPED ME TO UNDERSTAND JUST A LITTLE BIT.

(YOUNG GIRL) WHAT!

WHAT SECRET?

WHAT -- WHO'S THIS?

(SHANEIKA) MY FIRST CELL PHONE WAS A PINK SONY ERICSSON.

AND IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT SOME SORT OF TECHNOLOGY HAD, LIKE, A CAMERA.

I USED TO USE IT TO JUST VLOG LIKE, JUST MY DAY TO DAY LIFE.

I DON'T KNOW.

I JUST LOVED IT.

AND THEN BEGGED MY MOM FOR A CAMERA.

I WAS LIKE, I JUST WANT A CAMERA.

AND THAT WAS MY FIRST REAL BIG GIRL CAMERA.

I THINK AT A YOUNG AGE, I KIND OF ALREADY HAD THIS, THE AWARENESS OF SOCIETY AND THE UGLINESS OF IT.

I WAS LIKE FILMING STORIES ABOUT CHILD ABUSE AND LIKE CYBERBULLYING.

I THINK THAT'S WHY THE CAMERA BECAME THAT'S WHY, LIKE, I ALWAYS HAVE IT WITH ME.

EVEN TILL THIS DAY, IT'S LIKE I'M STILL HEALING, ALMOST LIKE I'M STILL PROCESSING WHAT ALL OF THAT WAS.

(MAMA) OH ANAK.

HELP ME.

(JANA) MA, WHAT IS THIS?

(MAMA) OH, IT'S YOUR INTERNSHIP.

LOOK, I GOT YOU THIS.

YOUR SCRUBS.

YOUR NAMETAG.

(JANA) MA• (MAMA) ANAK, WHAT'S WRONG?

(JANA) MA, I DON'T WANT ANY OF THIS.

(MAMA) WHAT?

WHAT DID YOU SAY?

JANA?

DON'T TELL ME (JANA) THIS, MA, THIS IS WHAT YOU WANT.

(MAMA) YES, BECAUSE I AM YOUR MOTHER.

I KNOW WHAT'S BEST FOR YOU.

(SHANEIKA) IN THE FILIPINO CULTURE, LIKE ALL THE MOMS WANT THEIR CHILDREN TO BECOME NURSES AND SUCCESSFUL DOCTORS AND LAWYERS.

SO IN THE STORY, I KIND OF MADE A NOD TO THAT BECAUSE MY MOM ALSO HAD THE SAME DREAM FOR ME.

SOMETHING STABLE, SOMETHING SECURE.

SHE'S CONVINCED HER MOM THAT SHE'S GOING TO NURSING.

YOU KNOW, SHE'S STUDYING, SHE'S GETTING HER DEGREE.

BUT IN REALITY, SHE'S NOT.

SHE'S PURSUING HER DREAM.

SHE'S DOING IT IN SECRET.

SHE'S IN PHOTOGRAPHY CLASS PURSUING HER ART.

AND SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I DID GROWING UP.

ANYTHING THAT INVOLVED A CAMERA I WAS DOING AFTER SCHOOL.

(MAMA SPEAKING FILIPINO) (SHANEIKA) THAT'S WHAT FILMS HELPED ME TO DO, IS JUST TO HAVE THAT HOPE FOR SOMETHING THAT'S POSSIBLE.

(MAMA SPEAKING FILIPINO) ♪ (SHANEIKA) I THINK MY STYLE HAS EVOLVED OVER THE YEARS, BUT I'VE ALWAYS GRAVITATED TO A SOFTER AND DREAMIER LOOK.

FILMMAKING IS KIND OF A DREAMSCAPE FOR ME.

I JUST LIKE TO CAPTURE LIFE AS BEAUTIFULLY AS I CAN.

I LIKE THINGS TO BE EARTHY AND WARM.

I EVEN EMULATE THAT COLOR IN MY OWN LIVING SPACE.

THE EARTH TONES, THE GREENS, THE ORANGES AND THE BLUES, THE BROWNS, THE WOOD.

BECAUSE IT GAVE ME A SENSE OF WARMTH, A SENSE OF COMFORT.

FOR ME, MISE EN SCENE, THE SCENE ITSELF, HOW IT LOOKS IN REAL LIFE MATTERS FOR ME BECAUSE I CAN'T BRING GREENS WHERE GREENS DON'T EXIST.

SO WHEN I'M OUT FILMING, I'M ALREADY LOOKING FOR TEXTURES IN NATURE.

I'M LOOKING FOR WHERE THE COLORS ARE THE RICHEST, WHERE THE TEXTURES HAVE DEPTH, AND THEN IF IT'S NOT THERE, I TRY TO CREATE IT MYSELF.

SO LIKE I'LL BRING IN PLANTS OR LIKE HANG TAPESTRIES AND LIKE THE WALLS.

AND THEN IN POST WHEN I'M FINALIZING THE FILM, I'LL THROW IT INTO DA VINCI RESOLVE AND I'LL START COLOR GRADING IT.

THAT'S WHERE I BRING OUT THE GREENS AND THE WARMTH AND THE ORANGES.

I'VE ALWAYS LOVED THE ORANGE AND TEAL LOOK.

(NARRATOR) YOUR TRAINING FOR MERRIE MONARCH BEGAN WHEN ..

WERE BORN.

(SHANEIKA) ON THE KA HUAKA'I FILM.

I WAS ONE OF THE CAMERA OPERATORS ALONGSIDE GERARD ELMORE AND KYLE KOSAKI ON THAT FILM.

ALL WE HAD WAS JUST THE SMALL RED CAMERA, THE RED GEMINI.

BUT IT WAS SUPER RUN-AND-GUN.

LIKE WE WERE JUST HAND HOLDING THAT.

WE WERE JUST WE WERE GETTING IN THERE AND WE WERE RUNNING AROUND AND LIKE, SOMETIMES WE'LL SWITCH OFF CAMERAS AND LIKE, YOU TAKE THE GIMBAL AND YOU TAKE THIS SET UP AND I'LL TAKE THIS SET UP AND I'LL FILM FROM THIS ANGLE.

BUT OH MY GOSH, IT WAS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL EXPERIENCE.

AND WE JUST RAN WITH THEM.

IN THE VOLCANOS OR LIKE OUT AT DARK AT 5 A.M.

IF WE'RE DOING A BLESSING.

WE WERE IN THERE.

YEAH.

(YOUNG GIRL) 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, READY OR NOT HERE I COME.

(SHANEIKA) ON KRYSTLE BACKE'S FILM, SINCERELY, KAYE.

IT WAS A VISUAL PORTRAIT OF HER LIFE STORY.

KRYSTLE WANTED IT TO BE AS ORGANIC AS POSSIBLE.

LIKE, KIND OF LIKE WE WERE IN THE SCENE WITH THE CHARACTERS.

THEY WEREN'T ACTORS, AND WE WEREN'T CAMERA OPERATORS.

BUT WE WERE WITH THEM KIND OF EXPERIENCING LIFE WITH THEM.

IT WAS A SETUP SIMILAR TO THIS.

IT WAS JUST THIS SMALL CAMERA WITH LIKE A SHOT, LIKE A SHOTGUN RODE MIC.

AND WE WERE JUST IN THERE JUST CAPTURING THINGS AS THEY HAPPENED.

WE DID PRIORITIZE THE CHARACTER'S EMOTIONS, THE STILLNESS, THE QUIETNESS IN THOSE MOMENTS.

I THINK WHAT I LOVED MOST WAS THE FACT THAT THERE WAS ALMOST NO DIALOG AT ALL.

SO IT REALLY CHALLENGED ME AS A FILMMAKER, HOW DO I VISUALLY COMMUNICATE WHAT'S HAPPENING WITHOUT TELLING PEOPLE WHAT'S HAPPENING?

HOW DO YOU COMMUNICATE WITH JUST THE EYES, WITH JUST THE MOUTH, WITH JUST THE FACE?

I JUST SEE MYSELF CREATING WORK THAT'S HONEST, THAT'S EMPATHETIC, BECAUSE FOR ME, WHAT I PRIORITIZE THE MOST IS HUMAN CONNECTION AND HUMAN UNDERSTANDING OF THE REALITY OF WHAT LIFE LOOKS LIKE OR WHAT LIFE COULD BE LIKE.

I SEE MYSELF DOING THIS FOR A VERY LONG TIME.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> REEL WAHINE OF HAWAI'I IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS.

AND BY KAMEHAMEHA SCHOOLS CHAMPIONS EVERY HAWAIIAN LEARNER TO EXPLORE THEIR POTENTIAL TO LEAD OUR IAHUI AND INSPIRE THE WORLD.

HANAI I KE KEIKI, OLA KA LAHUI - NURTURE THE CHILD AND THE LAHUI THRIVES.

♪ (VERA) HAWAI'I WOMEN IN FILMMAKING STAYS AT THE INTERSECTION BETWEEN MEDIA..

GENDER JUSTICE.

AND WHAT WE MEAN BY THAT IS THAT FOR US, HAWAI'I WOMEN IN FILMMAKING IS NOT ONLY IMPORTANT WHOSE STORIES ARE TOLD, BUT ALSO WHO'S TELLING THOSE STORIES.

AND SO AN INITIATIVE LIKE REEL WAHINE OF HAWAI'I REALLY IS RESOLVED OR WHAT WE STAND FOR.

OUR MISSION IS REALLY TO TELL THE STORY ABOUT HAWAI'I WOMEN FILMMAKERS, TOLD BY HAWAI'I WOMEN FILMMAKERS.

(SHIRLEY) WHAT HAS BEEN REALLY INCREDIBLE IS THE THE CAMARADERIE AND THE COMMUNITY THAT'S BEEN BUILT AROUND THE MAKING OF THESE FILMS.

THERE'S NOW THIS FANTASTIC COMMUNITY OF WOMEN FILMMAKERS WHO HAVE MOVED KNOW EACH OTHER, THEY'VE WORKED TOGETHER.

AND THEY ARE NOW DOING ALL KINDS OF OTHER FILM COLLABORATIONS.

AND SO IT'S HELPING TO GROW OUR HAWAI'I FILMMAKING COMMUNITY.

(VERA) GIVEN THE WORK THAT I DO IN THE COMMUNITY, WITH HAWAI'I WOMEN IN FILMMAKING, I'M ALWAYS VERY, IN A SORT OF AN EMERGENCY STATE, YOU KNOW.

THERE ARE SO MANY ISSUES AND CHALLENGES THAT AFFECT WOMEN AND GIRLS.

AND OF COURSE, FILM IS A VERY POWERFUL TOOL TO RAISE AWARENESS AND EDUCATE ON WHAT THOSE ISSUES ARE.

BUT WITH REEL WAHINE OF HAWAI'I, WHAT I MANAGE TO DO IS ACTUALLY TO GO FROM THIS CONSTANT STATE OF EMERGENCY OF, YOU KNOW, NEED TO DO SOMETHING TO ACTUALLY SEE WHAT THRIVING FOR A WOMAN COULD LOOK LIKE.

WOMEN EXPRESSING THEMSELVES, GETTING PAID FOR WHAT THEY DO, TELLING THEIR STORY, SUPPORTING EACH OTHER AND THE BOND, THE BONDS ARE BUILT.

THE [INDISTINCT] THAT WE MANAGED TO BUILD AND NURTURE THROUGH THESE SHORT FILMS, I MEAN, THEN LIKE NINE MINUTES, AND YET, IT'S A SMALL WITH A HUGE IMPACT.

(SHIRLEY) I THINK THERE'S A REAL INTEREST IN WOMEN'S STORIES.

AND I THINK THERE'S A REAL INTEREST FROM AUDIENCES WANTING TO SEE MORE FILMS TOLD FROM THIS POINT OF VIEW, TOLD THROUGH THE FEMALE GAZE, TOLD BY FILMMAKERS OF COLOR, TOLD BY NATIVE HAWAIIANS.

PEOPLE IN COMMUNITIES TELLING STORIES ABOUT THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES.

AND SO THAT'S, I THINK, AT THE HEART OF WHY IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE MAKE THESE FILMS AND MAKE THEM AVAILABLE TO AS WIDE AN AUDIENCE AS POSSIBLE.