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CANE FIRE

Directed by Anthony Banua-Simon

Documentary Features, Pacific Cinewaves
USA
Documentary, Environmental, Experimental, Family, History, Human Rights, Pacific Islander, Social Issues
English, Olelo Hawaiian, Pidgin English
Subtitled
2020
90 mins
Los Angeles premiere

FREE/PAY WHAT YOU CAN

Filmmakers in attendance. Film program will be followed by Q&A

CANE FIRE examines the past and present of the Hawaiian island of Kauaʻi, interweaving four generations of family history, numerous Hollywood productions, and troves of found footage to create a kaleidoscopic portrait of the economic and cultural forces that have cast indigenous and working-class residents as “extras” in their own story. From “classic” Hollywood fare starring Elvis Presley (BLUE HAWAII was shot at the famous Coco Palms property), Bing Crosby, and Charleton Heston, many locals served as background, which for some, was a badge of honor to be a part of the so-called Hollywood zeitgeist, no matter how infinitesimal.

But, the hard truth is that many individuals struggle to maintain their jobs, their land, and their culture from the imposing tourism industry and Hollywood films that slowly push authentic Hawai‘i culture to the sidelines. Director Anthony Banua-Simon examines four generations of his own family history to show how large corporations have utilized the people of Hawai‘i to craft a story for the tourists, rather than casting them as the voices that must be heard. — Anderson Le

CREDITS
Director: Anthony Banua-Simon
Writer: Anthony Banua-Simon, Mike Vass
Producer: Anthony Banua-Simon, Mike Vass
Executive Producer: Steve Holmgren
Director of Photography: Anthony Banua-Simon
Editor: Anthony Banua-Simon
Composer: Mike Cooper
Sound Designer: Brian Flood
Cast: Henry Bermoy

Co-presented with Community Partners: Association of Moving Image Archivists, Pacific Island Ethnic Art Museum, UCLA Asian American Studies Department, Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (CAPE)