The Women and the Waves
★ 6.5 · 2009 · Documentary
A documentary surf film that explores the lives of female surfers who have chosen to paddle head first into the male dominated sport of surfing and along the way found a place of their own.
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Hula is Hawaii
2024
We take you through the legacy of an island and show you why Hula is so much more than just a beautiful dance.
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Polynesia in America
1960
A look at the then brand-new Polynesian Cultural Center in Oahu, Hawaii . Established by the Mormons, the Center attempts to explain the indigenous cultures of Polynesia, New Zealand, Tonga, Fiji, Samoa, Tahiti, and Hawaii.
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Mad Dogs
2015
In mid 90s, with no money and no English, Danilo, Marcio and Yuri left Brazil and everything behind to live in Hawaii and surf the world's most famous waves. At that time, Laird Hamilton and his gang had just invented tow surfing, using the help of jet skis to catch giant waves on the outer reefs. Laird became a legend and his new sport attracted surfers looking for fame and money. Then, in 2006, dreaming of surfing Jaws in the purest style, the 3 “amigos” began a saga that lasted 5 years. They challenged Jaws year after year, paddling, with no safety, no inflatable vests, nothing.
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Holo Mai Pele
2001 · ★ 8.5
This is the story of the Fire Goddess Pele and the dynamics of her relationship with her sister Hi’iaka. Six years ago, the renowned dance company Halau 'O Kekuhi began the ambitious undertaking of assembling and recreating the legend for modern audiences, translating it to the contemporary stage by combining the traditions of Hawaiian chant and hula with innovative elements of Western theater.
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Shaka: A Story of Aloha
2024
A documentary on the origin, meanings and uses of the gesture. The shaka sign is reputed to be over a century old, but its origins are the stuff of myths and legends. It turns out that kupuna (Hawaiian elders) have kept the story secret for almost a century. Why? They didn't want it told incorrectly or commercialized. But given advancing age and a world in need, they decided it was time to share the story.
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An Island of the Mind
2025
A homeless man with schizophrenia slowly embraces antipsychotic medication under Hawaii's only willing psychiatrist and a court mandate, while a man in recovery offers rare insight into mental illness as he fights to reclaim stability.
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Hawaii's Last Queen
1997 · ★ 7
Honeymooners, tourists and surfers flock to Hawaiian shores every year, but life wasn't always serene in the tropical paradise. In the 1890s, the islands -- ruled by Queen Liliuokalani -- faced financial ruin thanks to colonial business interests and the U.S. government, which rescinded Hawaii's preferential sugar market position. "The American Experience" recounts the events and intrigues that resulted in the monarch's ouster ... at gunpoint.
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Pidgin: The Voice of Hawai'i
2009 · ★ 6
What if you are made to feel ashamed when you speak your "mother tongue" or ridiculed because of your accent? "Pidgin: The Voice of Hawai'i" addresses these questions through its lively examination of Pidgin - the language spoken by over half of Hawai'i's people.
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The Art of Life
2019
As a rising star in the field of abstract mathematics, Michael discovered that he could see beauty and pattern where others could not. But his path was not to be inside academia, or even inside society. He went on a grand adventure to unify his Buddhism with his ability to see an expanded view of reality. He created beauty in a place where nobody else would, and made his friends amongst dolphins.
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Syngman Rhee's Thirty Years in Hawaii
2022
Syngman Rhee, the founding president of the Republic of Korea spent a total of thirty years in Hawaii. The first 25 years occurred before he was elected the founding president and five years were after he resigned from the presidency. What is the significance of 30 years in one’s life span?
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Hawaii, l'âme du ukulélé
2020
A passionate ukulele player, cartoonist Joann Sfar ("The Rabbi's Cat") flies to Hawaii to explore the history of the little instrument, as well as the culture that surrounds it. For the pocket guitar, imported in 1879 by the Portuguese from Madeira who had come to harvest sugar cane, is the vector of a philosophy specific to the archipelago: the spirit of "Aloha", which condenses hospitality, joy, love and respect. With brushes in hand, Joann Sfar set out in search of the ideal instrument, meeting craftsmen, musicians, dancers and guardians of Hawaiian culture.
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2015 · ★ 7
Documenting the Kapu Aloha movement, as they take a stand to defend Mauna Kea in the wake of the Thirty Meter Telescope protests.
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