Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 14, Number 10, 1 October 1997 — Zooming in: Film makers of Hawaiʻi [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

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Zooming in:

Film makers of Hawaiʻi

"The only weapon I carry is my camera."

Ka'u resident Puhipau has no formal training in his chosen craft, but insists, "All you need to produce, direct and shoot a video is heart and commitment — and my heart and commitment lie with the nation of Hawai'i." When, in 1980, poliee evicted more than 400 Hawaiians from their Sand Island homes, sove'reignty became not only i Puhipau's cause but also his inspiration. A 1 deliveryman, selling fish and iee, Puhipau wound up the spokesperson for his Sand Island neighbors. Their spirited 13-month standoff attracted a camera crew from Windward Video and resulted in a PBS documentary, " Sand Island Story." During the production, Puhipau met Joan Lander,

a seasoned camera operator, producer, writer and editor. Two years later, the two founded, Nā Maka o ka 'Āina, the eyes of the land. To date, the company has produced 60 videos. including the acclaimed " Act of War. The Overthrow ofthe Hawaiian Nation." First aired on Hawaii Public Television to commemorate the 1993 eentennial of the overthrow, the hour-long documentary has been screened at film festivals around the world, capturing such prizes as the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's Silver Award. "We're not doing this because we chose video as a profession," Puhipau noted. "We're doing this because we chose video to educate the masses, to teach Hawaiian history from the Hawaiian perspective." Nā Maka o ka 'Āina's subjects range from burial sites, fishponds and taro lo'i to endangered plants, featherwork and surfing. "The subject matter might be anything, but the motivating factor for all our work is sovereignty, independence, selfdetermination and the rebirth of our eulture so that we ean take our rightful plaee in these islands and atnong the family of nations," said Puhipau. "In 1982, when we started making video's, nobody was talking about sovereignty. Now it's a household word. The government — they eall us radicals, activists. They warn us not to be violent. But we are not blowing up buildings to fight for sovereignty. We

don't carry guns. The only weapon I carry is my camera."

Like most kids, Heather Giugni loved going to the movies. But when the final scene was over, and the rest of the audience was exiting, she would remain in her seat, riveted on the credits rolling up the screen. "I'd never see a

woman's name." Giugni recalled. "I'm not talking about the actresses, the hairstylists or the makeup artists. I'm talking about the eool stuff — the directors, the camera people, i the technicians. I used to I think, 'Maybe this is a I field that's not supposed I to be for women.'" Giugni graduated from 9 Kamehameha Schools in I 1972, then from the UniI versity of Maryland in

I 1977 with a degree in journalism. The next four years, she dēlved into the visual arts, working primarily with paper. Several of her pieces were displayed at prestigious institutions such as the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

Giugni returned to Hawai'i in late 1981, landing a job as an intern with KGMB-TV. She rose quickly through the ranks and eventually became producer of the evening news. After work, she would hang out with the production crew and learn — how to

work a camera, set up lights, edit tape. Her persistence paid off. In 1984, Giugni was hired by Alu Like to produce a 20minute video, "A/m Like: Working Together," her first big project. She recalled, "Before that, I had primarily been observing, learning from other people. The Alu Like project was my ehanee to prove myself. It gave me the confidence I needed." Giugni formed Juniroa Productions the following year with partner Esther Figueroa and, in 1986, left KGMB. "People told me I was making a mistake," she said."Nobody really thought that independent filmmakers like us could survive. But I felt I had to go for it I had to beliēve in my ideas." Those ideas have kept flowing. In 12 years, Juniroa has produced more than 60 programs. Many have won awards, including the series "On Target," exploring health and wellness, and " Enduring Pride ," spotlighting Hawaiian language, history, culture and contemporary issues. As for her most significant work, Giugni replied without hesitation, "To me, these video projects are all equally important with every program, I'm celebrating things Hawaiian and sharing stories. I feel blessed and honored to be a messenger for the eommunity I love and care about, and to be able to work with my heroes — not only famous Hawaiians like Aunty Genoa Keawe, (the late) Israel Kamakawiwoole and Rell Sunn, but fishermen, cowboys and lau hala weavers. I love being Hawaiian and I love doing what I do."

Lurline McGregor's entry into film making was serendipitous. From 1978 to 1986, she worked in Washington, D.C. as Representative Cec Heftel's legislative director, then joined his gubernatorial campaign in Hawai'i. "When he lost the eIection, my life flashed before my eyes, because that wasn't supposed to happen," she recalled. "I had to figure out what to do next. Heather Giugni, a friend of mine, had just received a grant to produce ' Enduring Pride,'' and she offered me the opportunity to work with her, knowing that my television production skills were limited. It was such an incredible learning experience. I did everything from researching topics, arranging interviews and writing scripts to setting up equipment, logging tapes, and delivering them to KHET and KGMB (whieh aired the series) when they were done. It was nerve-racking, but it was totally fun!"

Since then, McGregor has worked on more than two dozen projects, including the award-winning "Then There Were None," the first native Hawaiian-produced program broadcast nationally by PBS. Written and directed by former Miss Hawai'i Elizabeth Lindsey, the 30-minute film traces the tragic decline of the Hawaiian population from 500,000 in 1778, when Cook arrived, to 8,71 1 in 1993. Demographers predict that by 2044, there will not be a single pure Hawaiian. "After the show was broadcast, people could eall a toll-free number to order tapes," McGregor said. "We were in the office, and the phones kept ringing. Some people who called were sobbing. They were so shocked and moved by what they had seen, they wanted to talk about it. For any film maker, that kind of response is tremendously gratifying. You think, 'I was given the ehanee to make people's lives

richer, and I did it. ' That is the fuel that drives us." As executive director of a nonprofit corporation, McGregor no longer works on her own projects, but she has been able to help other film makers realize their dreams. For five years, she headed Pacific Islanders in Communications, whieh funds and promotes television programming by and about indigenous Pacific Islanders. Now she holds the top job at 'Olelo, responsible for public-access programming on 0'ahu's cable stations. "I believe the survival of our culture depends on people outside our culture knowing about us," she said. "And the medium to facilitate the education process is television. Film making has given Hawaiians a voice; it has become part of our struggle to survive. What we do through film, others are doing through music, hula, weaving and growing taro. It's developing respect and appreciation for the Hawaiian culture so that it will not only eonhnue, but flourish." ■

"Film making has given Hawaiians a voice; it has become an important part of our struggle to survive."

"I'm celebrating things Hawaiian."

The hours are long, the work grueling, the pay inadequate. But over the past decade, a handful of Hawaiians have dedicated themselves to film making as a way of preserving their history and culture.

STORY Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi PHOTOS Pacific Islanders in Communications

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