AANHPI Month: Waikiki (2020)
- Sun, May 18
- Wed, May 21
Director: Christopher Kahunahana Run Time: 80 min. Release Year: 2023
Starring: Claire Johnson, Danielle Zalopany, Jason Quinn, Kimo Kahoano, Peter Shinkoda
Country: United States
Language: Hawaiian, English
About the film:
Best Feature Film, Jury Award, Hawai’i International Film Festival.
When a Native Hawaiian hula dancer escaping her abusive boyfriend crashes her beat-up van into a mysterious homeless man, she finds herself flung into a surrealistic journey of self-exploration and enlightenment. Director Christopher Kahunahana’s eagerly awaited feature debut breaks down the enduring, stereotypical image of paradise we have of Waikiki to reveal a vulnerable and authentic portrait of indigeneity. Leaving behind the touristic image of paradise and island culture, WAIKIKI tackles the often-unspeakable generational trauma of postcolonial cultures through mixing of genre conventions, experimental storytelling, and perspectives.
“A hauntingly beautiful film that depicts the complicated and intertwined sides of paradise, both darkness and light…”
About the filmmaker:
Kahunahana is an award-winning Hawaiian filmmaker and Sundance Institute Feature Film and Native Lab Alumni. He is the writer, producer, and director of Waikiki (2020) which premiered at the Urban World Film Festival 2020 and opened The Smithsonian’s Mother Tongue Film Festival. Waikiki (2020) has been recognized with multiple awards including a Grand Jury Award for Best US Narrative Feature at The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, Best Feature Grand Prize at Flickers Rhode Island International Film Festival, and Best Made in Hawaii Feature Film at the Hawaii International Film Festival.
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