WAIMEA — Named “one of the 50 unmissable film festivals” by Variety, the Hawai‘i International Film Festival hits Kaua‘i for just two days at the Historic Waimea Theatre in downtown Waimea. Described as “a celluloid bridge,” the film festival offers
WAIMEA — Named “one of the 50 unmissable film festivals” by Variety, the Hawai‘i International Film Festival hits Kaua‘i for just two days at the Historic Waimea Theatre in downtown Waimea.
Described as “a celluloid bridge,” the film festival offers selections from Japan, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, South Korea, Tonga, and Australia. Show times both days begin at 11 a.m. with the last movie starting at 3:30 p.m.
Individual movie admission is $2 or $5 for all the movies if you purchase special advance tickets at Borders Books & Music in Lihu‘e or Scotty’s Music in Kalaheo.
Kaua‘i Film Commissioner, Art Umezu, entices the audience to come early. At each film showing on both days, special Tropical Thunder logo luggage tags will be given away by the Kaua‘i Film Office.
On Sunday afternoon, prior to the showing of “Hula Girls” there will be a live hula performance of the hula performed in the film by Island School teacher Pam Smith’s students.
Local teen sensation Daphne Sanchez will be on hand as well to sing prior to the encore showing of Hula Girls at 3 p.m. Sunday.
For more information, go to: www.waimeatheater.com2007. Kaua‘i Film Schedule
11 a.m. Saturday
• Pacific Island Shorts Seven films:
Brother
New Zealand
15 minutes
Two young New Zealand Samoans wait all day for one important phone call. This comic coming of age story follows two friends as they support each other while waiting for the call of a life time, the call from the ‘first girlfriend.’ Their friendship will be severely tested as their seemingly simple task escalates far beyond any of their expectations. English language.
Hands Up! Your Betel Nut or Your Life
Papua New Guinea
seven minutes
A pair of inept rascals (criminals) in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea set out on a crime spree. When they encounter a poor philosophizing buai (betel nut) seller things take a turn for the worse. Pidgin English.
Hawakii
New Zealand
11 minutes
A story of a young girl’s attempt to find her identity in a new world and her father’s efforts to support her. Director: Mike Jonathan. English language.
Rites of Courage
New Zealand
five minutes
A story about identity and culture and the strength required to hold onto that. A boy is going through the ritual of becoming a man, the agonizing tattooing of his lower body. Through this challenge he will learn, even though we come from different background we all wear the same skin, we must hold onto our culture and embrace change to truly overcome our fear. Director: Miki Magasiva. Samoan with English subtitles.
Taua (New Zealand)
15 minutes
A war party has abducted an enemy leader and bound him to the stern of their war canoe. The war canoe is being towed through a forest, driven by a merciless chief in a bid to escape any pursuers and return home safely with their trophy. Two young boys sit at the stern of the war canoe as bailers on the water and water distributors on the land. On a desperate and grueling journey, every man is in need of water. Even an unknown captive strapped to the stern. Director: Tearepa Kahi. Maori w/ English subtitles.
Tavake
Tonga
15 minutes
Set in the Kingdom of Tonga, this film looks at the influence and encroachment of Western culture as shown in the relationship of a young man and his traditional father. Director: Paul Stoll. Tongan w/ Eng subtitles.
The Speaker
New Zealand
14 minutes
A political tagger’s midnight marauding gets his younger brother caught by the police, but saying, “I’m sorry,” are words best said with action. Director: Tearepa Kahi. English language.
1:30 p.m. Saturday
• Sandaan: 100 Years of Filipinos in America
USA
90 minutes
2006 marked the centennial commemorating Filipino migration to the United States, which started in 1906 when 15 migrant workers called sakadas arrived in Hawai‘i to work on the islands’ sugar plantations, and continued on to three significant migration waves that led to the present 2.4 million Filipino population in the United States.
Sandaan chronicles the struggles and achievements of Filipinos in the United States in the last century. The film presents intimate portraits of Filipino-Americans who went through struggles and later gave significant contributions to American society. Also featured are prominent Filipino-Americans shared their life experiences in the process of making America their home, notably businesswoman and community leader Loida Nicolas Lewis, US Army Major General Antonio Taguba, former Clinton assistant Maria Mabilangan Haley and many others. Director: Noel M. Izon. Filipino language.
330 p.m. Saturday
200 Pounds Beauty
-South Korea
Hanna is far from pretty. She is what they call a dog. However, she has a God-given voice that is music to everybody’s ear and sings for a singer named Ammy who is sexy and beautiful, but who cannot sing a note. One day, she gets herself in a situation where she could not be more humiliated before her secret crush, Sang-jun, and decides to kill herself. However, as fate has it, her suicide attempt fails and leads her to Dr. Lee, a renowned plastic surgeon, who turns her into a dazzling beauty. Director: Yong-hwa Kim. Korean with English subtitles.
11 a.m. Sunday
• Kalaupapa Heaven
(Australia)
Kalaupapa Heaven provides a compelling look into the experiences of individuals sent to live in Kalaupapa on the island of Moloka‘i after being diagnosed with Hansen’s disease.
In 1998, Dr. Paul Cox was permitted by the residents of Kalaupapa to film Molokai: The Story of Father Damien, a biographical film on Father Damien’s life in Kalaupapa. Cox was allowed to return again to direct this incredible documentary.
The site of a former leprosy settlement, Kalaupapa is a beautiful, unspoiled paradise with a dark and horrifying history. Although mandatory isolation of the Kalaupapa residents ended in 1969, many of the residents chose to remain there to live out their days in this sanctuary from the outside world. Through interviews, video footage, home movies, and photographs, Kalaupapa Heaven captures the heartbreaking, painful, and unforgettable adversities suffered by the Kalaupapa residents as well as the poignant moments they enjoyed. Most importantly, it captures the unbelievably forgiving, undemanding, and generous spirit they have maintained in spite of their adversities as well as their strong desire that their experiences and their history be respected.
Director: Paul Cox. English language.
130 & 330 p.m. Sunday
• Hula Girls
(Japan)
In a desperate move to revive the coal-mining town of Joban, a plan is developed to create a “Hawaiian Paradise” in this cold, northern region. The featured attraction is to be a hula show, but of course, in this isolated place far north of the equator and Hawai’i, there are no palm trees… Nor are there any hula dancers to train the young coal miners’ daughters in hula dancing, so a dance instructor is brought in from Tokyo. Once a leading performer, she at first looks down on the coal miners and their amateurish daughters, but the girls’ sincere dedication gradually rekindles a passion in her. Based on the true story of the people who gave birth to the Joban Hawaiian Center. Director: Sang-il Lee. Japanese with English subtitles
If you go:
• Come early for Tropical Thunder logo luggage tags given away by Kaua’i Film Commission Office.
• Performance of the hula in the film by Island School teacher Pam Smith’s students on Sunday
• Local teen sensation Daphne Sanchez at 3 p.m., Sunday
