SHORTS! HAWAII

Program SHORTS! Hawaii
1 April - 22.00 hours - Filmmuseum Vondelpark Amsterdam

Kamea
Jennifer Akana-Sturla, Hawai'i 2004, 22 min.

A mystical coming-of-age story about Kamea, a teenage Hawai'ian girl living on Oahu's North Shore who falls in love with Thomas, a cute surfer boy who's obsessed with Hawai'ian surf legend Duke Kahanamoku. Kamea studies up on Duke to impress Thomas, but when her own attempts to pique his interest fail, she makes her own connection to Duke and gains a sense of self.

Silent Years
James Sereno, Hawai'i 2004, 13 min.

After years of repression, a woman must journey back to her past and confront memories of teenage abuse while growing up on the Big Island of Hawai'i. Adapted from selected poems by renowned Hawai'i author Lois-Ann Yamanaka, SILENT YEARS tells a universal story using the unique dialect of Hawai'ian Pidgin English.

The Sand Island Drive In Anthem
Ryan Kawamoto, Hawai'i 2005, 24 min.

Four young men learn valuable lessons about life, love, respect and dignity while working 14-hour shifts at the Sand Island Drive-In. Stuck behind the counter of the Hawaii aging diner, the boys serve up plate lunches, such as loco mocos (hamburger patty, one egg, over white rice and lots of brown gravy) and the best macaroni salad in Honolulu to everyone from auto mechanics and construction workers.

Fishbowl
Kayo Hatta, Hawai'i 2005, 30 min.

Hawai'i, 1975. It's Halloween and for 13-year-old Lovey Nariyoshi, it's a chance to be someone different. As an outsider with an overactive imagination, Lovey is regularly bullied into silence by her nemesis the smart and seemingly perfect Lori Shigemura, who is the head of a popular girls club. Rather than fight back, Lovey is prone to escaping into fantasy scenes in her imagination, where she turns into the bold and courageous girl that she wishes she could be. Will the upcoming Halloween costume contest be her day to shine and to break away from the constraints of plantation life?