DEAR ALOHA

Aloha. The word tourists hear when they board a plane to our magical Hawaiian Islands. It doesn’t stop there. Aloha is a universal welcome; said by tour guides and hotel concierges to the 9 million visitors that come every year. But what does it really mean?

It means so much more than just hello and goodbye. Aloha is a way of life Native Hawaiians are taught from a young age: to treat people with kindness, compassion, and inclusivity. Thousands of miles away on the continental US, aloha helps Hawaiians survive.

The reality is, Hawaiians are disappearing from their homeland. As more families are priced out of paradise, the growing diaspora is becoming more familiar than ever.

Dear Aloha is a heartfelt story about the meaning of aloha through the lives of Diasporic Hawaiians in the Pacific Northwest and how it sustains them through distance, loss, and longing. Meanwhile, in Hawai‘i, locals confront the lasting impact of colonization that has Hawaiians disappearing from their homeland.

Dear Aloha examines the question on every Hawaiian’s mind: what will Hawaiʻi become without its people?

Film Content Advisory: Grief, Emotional Pain, Gentrification

Credits
Writer: Cris Romento
Producer: Erin Lau, Vee Hua
Executive Producer: Cris Romento
Director of Photography: Shaneika Aguilar
Editor: Cris Romento, Shirley Thompson
Sound Designer: Micah Garrido

Plays in

30 for 30: Coming Home

Intimate portraits of resilience. From preserving Aloha far from home to pioneering athletes, activists, and spiritual teachers who defy expectations in the face of geographical barriers, prejudice, and societal norms—these short documentaries show how staying true to one’s self can be a transformative force.