On Waikiki Beach stand four giant boulders placed as a tribute to the four legendary mahu – individuals of dual male and female spirit - who brought the healing arts from Tahiti to Hawaii long ago. Although the stones have survived for centuries, their story has been hidden and the respected role of mahu erased. The Healer Stones of Kapaemahu feature documentary uses rare archival materials, new historical findings, and vivid animation to trace the trail of post-colonial suppression and bring the unexpurgated story back to life.
Kanaka Pakipika in association with Pacific Islander in Communications (2022)
Lynette Kahekili Paglinawan, a Living Treasure of Hawaii and hooponopono practitioner, discusses the Hawaiian philosophy of duality, which recognizes that in each person there is both “a Ku and a Hina, a hard and a soft, a male and a female.”
From The Healer Stones of Kapaemahu (2022)
An intimate glimpse of the first visible group of transgender men in the Pacific Islands – the Rogers of Samoa – as they undertake the traditional male task of building an underground oven.
From The Rogers (2020)
Kumu Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu visits her friends Paula Chandler and Dana Kauai Iki, who remind her of the magic of traditional mahu.
From Kumu Hina (2014)
Joey Mataele, co-founder of the Tonga Leitis Association and a devout Catholic of noble descent, reveals what itʻs like to be different in a society ruled by tradition, and what it takes to be accepted without forsaking who you are.
From Leitis in Waiting (2018)
The important and respected roles and responsibilities of mahu are discussed by Tuti Kanahele, a Kanaka Maoli native speaker and healer.
From The Healer Stones of Kapaemahu (2022)
Entertainment has offered one of the few avenues for Pacific Islanders of dual identity to disarm attackers and earn a living. Performing here is Miss Fatima Halafihi, 2017 winner of the Miss Galaxy Pageant, a highlight of the Tongan social calendar for thirty years enjoyed by royals and commoners alike.
From Leitis in Waiting (2018)
Talk Story at the Bishop Museum on the historical findings and artistic choices behind "The Healer Stones of Kapaemhu"exhibition, including details about the first written version of the moʻolelo, its loss, its rediscovery deep in a library archive, and its restoration — all in the context of the rise of tourism, militarization, and the erosion of Hawaiian cultural identity throughout the 20th century.
From Bishop Museum (2022)
Behind the scenes mini-documentary on the making of the Kapaemahu animated short. Led by Leanne Ferre, Executive Director of Pacific Islanders in Communications, who tragically passed away in 2021.
Kanaka Pakipika with
Pacific Islanders in Communications (2021)
Chelsea Winstanley, Maori producer of Jojo Rabbit, What We Do in the Shadows and Merta: How Mum Decolonised The Screen, discusses the significance of telling native stories from an indigenous perspective with Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu.
From Kanaka Pakipika (2021)
John Musker, the director of Moana and many other famed Disney movies, discusses the storytelling and art of the Hawaiian animated short Kapaemahu with animation director Daniel Sousa, writer and director Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, and producer Joe Wilson.
From Kanaka Pakipika (2021)
Winner of an unprecedented four Oscar-qualifying film festival awards, and shortlisted for Best Animated Short Film at the 93rd Academy Awards.
From Kanaka Pakipika (2021)
