IMA alum Laurie Sumiye’s (Director, Producer and Animator) film – A Paradise Lost had its world premiere at HIFF
About the film:
A PARADISE LOST, is an enchanting, yet harrowing tale of the yellow finch of Palila v. Hawai‘i, a landmark case where nature took humanity to court to stave off extinction. The film unfolds through the POV of the Palila called Anuenue who stood as the client in 1979 court trials. The legal battle leveraged the Endangered Species Act to protect māmane forests where 2,500 Palila competed with introduced sheep & goats. He explains how they won in court, but are still in jeopardy; in 2024, only 300 Palila remain. Today, a Native Hawaiian conservationist struggles to save them amidst escalating threats of climate change, wildfires, introduced predators, diseases, and governmental neglect.
IMA alumni Zoya Baker (Co-Producer, Animation Lead) and Satoko Sugiyama (Editor) worked on the film.