Made in Hawaiʻi: A Retrospective of Hawaiʻi Film Makers hour 6
As part of their 20th anniversary, the Hawaiʻi International Film Festival (HIFF) hosts Made in Hawaiʻi: A Retrospective of Hawaiʻi Film Makers, a six-part series looking at 70 years of film making in Hawaiʻi. Hour six finishes the series with two documentary films that embody the strength and perseverance of the Hawaiian people. The first is "Happy Birthday Tūtū Ruth!" directed by Ann Marie Kirk. Ruth Makaila Nakagawa Kaoloaʻa had seen many struggles in her lifetime and did whatever was needed to be done for her and her 13 children. In her time, Tūtū Ruth worked on coffee and macadamia farms, maintained her loʻi kala (taro patch), caught fish, and picked ʻopihi. Tūtū Ruth, her children, and friends contribute stories of their upbringing and way of life. The second film is "E Ola Ka ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi" produced by Nā Maka o ka ʻĀina. Initially detailing the decline of the Hawaiian language, this film documents the rise and revitalization of the Hawaiian language, its usage in the public school system, the creation of immersion schools, and college programs. The non-profit educational organization, ʻAha Pūnana Leo, helped to overturn the 1896 law that forbade the Hawaiian language being used for instruction in schools, helping to pave the way for other immersion schools and classes from elementary school up to college master's programs in Hawaiian language and literature. Presented in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language) with English subtitles. Includes interviews with Ann Marie Kirk and Puhipau (Nā Maka o ka ʻĀina). Recorded on May 3, 2001.
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