Total Runtime: 99 min
Content Warning: SV
ʻĀina is the Native Hawaiian Word for land. And for Native Hawaiians, land has been and continues to be a contentious subject, from the rising cost of housing on the Islands, to the enduring exploitation of Hawaiʻi’s natural resources. We invite you to enjoy these films made by Native Hawaiians that explore what it means to Aloha ʻĀina.
Dear Aloha
Directed by Cris Romento
United States | 2024 | Documentary Short | 16 min | PNW Premiere
Dear Aloha is a heartfelt story about the meaning of aloha through the lives of Diasporic Hawaiians in the Pacific Northwest and how it sustains them through distance, loss, and longing. Meanwhile, in Hawai‘i, locals confront the lasting impact of colonization that has Hawaiians disappearing from their homeland.
Standing Above the Clouds
Directed by Jalena Keane-Lee
United States | 2024 | Documentary Feature | 83 min
When the massive Thirty Meter Telescope is proposed to be built on Mauna Kea, an uprising of kiaʻi (protectors) in Hawaiʻi and around the world dedicate their lives to protecting the sacred mountain from destruction. Through the lens of mothers and daughters in three Native Hawaiian families, Standing Above the Clouds explores intergenerational healing and the impacts of safeguarding cultural traditions