Seattle Asian American Film Festival 2021

Looking Past Paradise: Shorts From Hawai'i

Expired March 15, 2021 6:59 AM
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7 films in package
MOLOKAʻI BOUND
A wayward young man, recently released from prison, struggles to reconnect with his son and Hawaiian heritage.
THIS IS THE WAY WE RISE
An exploration into the creative process follows Native Hawaiian slam poet Jamaica Heolimeleikalani Osorio as her calling to protect sacred sites atop Maunakea, Hawai`i reinvigorates her art.
THE MOON AND THE NIGHT
A Native Hawaiian teenage girl must confront her father after he enters her beloved pet in a dog fight. A coming-of-age tale of a young woman who must make the difficult realization that to save her family, she must stand on her own.
HAWAIIAN SOUL
The story of George Helm, a talented Hawaiian musician and leader in the 1970's native rights movement, who used his voice to inspire a revolution of consciousness.
KAPAEMAHU
Kapaemahu reveals the healing power of four mysterious stones on Waikiki Beach – and the legendary transgender spirits within them.
Closed captions available
STANDING ABOVE THE CLOUDS
A story of inter-generational women activists, who call themselves Ku Kia'i Mauna, or guardians of the mountain.
Looking Past Paradise: Shorts From Hawai'i Q&A
Moderated by Kalei'okalani Matsui with ʻĀina Paikai (director, Hawaiian Soul), Ciara Lacy (director, This is the Way We Rise), Erin Lau (director, The Moon and the Night), and Jalena Keane-Lee (director, Standing Above the Clouds).
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LOOKING PAST PARADISE is a showcase that allows us the privilege of seeing how the filmmaking community in Hawai’i has leveraged increased accessibility from digital democratization. From the movement to protect Mauna Kea to a brief reunion between a formerly incarcerated father and his son, these films shatter the veneer of tourism and reveal the truths that affect the Nation of Hawai’i.


Co-presented by U.T.O.P.I.A. Seattle and Hawaiian International Film Festival

Set in rural Hawaiʻi, a Native Hawaiian teenage girl must confront her father after he enters her beloved pet in a dog fight. Through this journey, the film explores undercurrents of personal, cultural, and socio-economic strife in Hawaiʻi, but at its heart, it is a coming-of-age tale of a young woman who must make the difficult realization that to save her family, she must stand on her own. (Content Warning: Death, Violence, Animal Abuse)

  • Year
    2018
  • Runtime
    19 minutes
  • Language
    English
  • Country
    United States
  • Premiere
    Seattle Premiere
  • Director
    Erin Lau
  • Cast
    Eric Lee, Jason Quinn, Bella Shepard
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