Maui Film Festival Official Selection 2012-05-19
This article was originally posted at Maui Film Festival Official Selection.
Besides the infamous “forbidden island” of Niihau off the west coast of Kauai, there is another island that rarely sees visitors. Not many people know what it looks like. There are no commercial activities allow, that means, no Maui wedding, no commercial tours, no fishing, nothing… it’s reserved exclusively for Hawaiian cultural revival and environmental restoration.
Kaho’olawe lies 7 miles southwest off the coast of Maui and is the smallest of the 8 major Hawaiian islands. We recently had the privilege of going there for a reforestation project with a group from the Four Seasons Resort Maui. Not knowing where the journey would take us, we brought some basic video gear along to capture some of the sights and sounds.
Little did we know that months later the MAUI FILM FESTIVAL would pickup on the short film we named To Heal an Island – Kaho’olawe and select it to show at the 2012 Maui Film Festival.
You can imagine the jaw-dropping moment when I read these words in an email from the Maui Film Festival:
“Your Film, To Heal and Island-Kaho’olawe, has been excepted into this years festival. And we are thrilled to have it.”
We feel so honored that our short film (really short at 4:38) was one of the few films out of thousands of entries to be selected for this year’s festival. It is our hope that this exposure will help fund a much longer and more in-depth piece that is calling out to be told.
The Story Behind the Creation of To Heal an Island – Kawo’olawe
In 2011 Katie Taylor — the president and CEO of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Worldwide — announced the company’s commitment to plant 10 million trees around the globe. As part of that commitment, the Four Seasons Resort Maui endeavored to plant 2000 trees consisting of native grass, shrubs and trees on the desolate and ravaged island of Kaho’olawe. As the smallest of the 8 major Hawaiian Islands, Kaho’olawe (known to Hawaiians as Kanaloa, named after one of their major deities) sits just 7 miles to the southwest of Maui. It’s most known for having been a training ground and bombing range for the United States Armed Forces starting in World War II all the way through 1990, but prior faced major environmental degradation through overgrazing by cattle and goats.
With access granted only through 2 organizations, the Protect Kaho’olawe Ohana (or PKO) and the Kaho’olawe Island Reserve Commission (or the KIRC), the group of volunteers were ferried in with the KIRC’s permission and spent 4 days on island. Led by KIRC Natural Resource Specialist and group leader Lopaka White, the experience was made rich by engaging in traditional Hawaiian protocol, safety, celestial observation, listening, learning, imua (teamwork), hard work, natural restoration, and a sense of higher purpose many had forgotten existed.
Unexploded Ordinance Dots the Island
It’s hard to believe on the face of it that a dry, dusty, and deserted island could usher in such strong feelings. Away from modern conveniences, unexploded ordinance threats, hard physical manual labor in hot and unshaded environment, and early morning starts are hardly the average person’s idea of a good time. And yet, ask any of the volunteers to go back and do it again, and the answer will be unanimous.
This short documentary teases the many layers underneath while giving a compelling snap shot of the trip. The subsequently planned long-form documentary delves deeper into the essence of Kaho’olawe and what its renewal means for Hawaiian Culture, the environment and to those of us who visit it.
While deeply personal and sacred reasons for why the the experience elicited such strong responses, some of the themes encountered may offer a glimpse:
- an island as a symbol of the best of humanity and the most destructive of humanity;
- a mission that may endure and affect many generations to come in untold positive ways;
- deepening the emotional and academic understanding of the place we call home;
- rediscovering our ancestors and lineage to better understand ourselves;
- the ‘aina — the land — can teach us and the wisdom of indigenous peoples can help us interpret what it’s saying;
- the driving force of the universe is accessible and palpable if we only observe and listen more intently;
- to heal and island leads to healing oneself;
- on a ravaged, inhospitable island: what you feel is what you are.
We are deeply indebted to everyone who made this experience possible and we wish to one day shine a light on the riches Kaho’olawe and it’s Hawaiian stewards have to teach through a feature length documentary. Until then, this short form piece is meant to provide a mere taste of the transformative experiences collected on the journey to the mysterious and forlorn island, the island of Kaho’olawe.
Once it has been shown on June 17th at the Celestial Cinema at the Maui Film Festival, we will be able to release it to the general public.
For now, please visit the official website of the short film To Heal an Island – Kaho’olawe.
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