Mon, Nov 22, 8-9pm EST | Online
Professor Reiko Tahara and IMA student Yehui Zhao have coorganized a visiting artist event that is in conjunction with the IMA course, Documentaring Histories: Asian, Asian American. The event is open to the students in the course and also all current IMA students, faculty, staff and alumni. The discussion will center around two short films that you would watch at your own time prior to the Q&A and can be found via the links in their titles:
A Place in the Middle (directors: Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson; story creator Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu), and a new animation KAPAEMAHU (directors Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson and Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu). The filmmakers generously made them free and available to the public!
We are honored to have Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Native Hawaiian teacher, cultural practitioner and filmmaker to join us in a zoom discussion on Monday November 22nd from 8-9PM EST.
The Documenting Histories, Asian, Asian American class has been diving deep into histories and cultures of Asia and Pacific Islands and Asian-America, and pondering how film can be an effective medium to (re)tell people’s histories. Reiko and Yehui personally found Hina’s films and work so powerful in protecting indigenous values as an anti-colonial practice. They hope the event with Hina will be an open space to learn about Hawaiian history and identity.
Click here to RSVP for the Q&A event.
To learn more about Hawaiian history and Hina’s work, we also recommend Hawaii Stolen Paradise (2014, 52min. Dir: Luis Castro), and Kumu Hina (2013, 77min, Dir/Prod: Joe Wilson & Dean Hamer).
Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu is a Native Hawaiian teacher, cultural practitioner and filmmaker who uses digital media to protect and perpetuate indigenous languages and traditions. She began her film work as a protagonist and educational advisor for the award winning films Kumu Hina and A Place in the Middle, and received a National Education Association Human Rights Award, Native Hawaiian Educator of the year and White House Champion of Change Award for the groundbreaking impact campaigns associated with those films. Continuing her journey to the other side of the lens, Kumu Hina produced the PBS/ARTE feature documentary Leitis in Waiting and award-winning short Lady Eva about her transgender sisters in the Kingdom of Tonga. Hina is also a transgender health advocate, burial council chair, candidate for the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and composer of “Ku Haaheo E Kuu Hawaii,” the internationally-known anthem for the protection of Mauna Kea which was honored as Hawaiian Song of the Year in the 2020 Na Hoku Hanohano Awards, known as the Hawaiian Grammys.
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This event is made possible by the Hunter Film & Media Department, SAF Fund.
