MĀHŪ: A Trans-Pacific Love Letter

FREE/PAY WHAT YOU CAN

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

MĀHŪ explores the history of the Hawaiian term māhū by interweaving the multi-media stage performance featuring the hula dance, chant, and contemporary music around intimate interviews with the artistic collaborators of the show who are all acclaimed Hawaiian transgender artists. As they prepare to open the MĀHŪ show in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, we meet Kumu Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, a revered community leader, kumu hula, and filmmaker known for her activism in the field of kanaka maoli language and cultural preservation; Iwalani Hoʻomanawanui Apo, a revered loea, or expert, of Hawaiian music and master falsetto singer in the beloved Hawaiian music trio, Kuini; and Kaumakaiwa Kanakaʻole, a multi-award winning performer and great-grandchild of esteemed Kumu Hula Edith Kanakaʻole who was one of the seminal figures of the Hawaiian Renaissance. These contemporary artists share intergenerational stories from both older and younger māhū experiences that highlight the difficulties of navigating their transgender identities. In showcasing the talent of the ensemble who are expressing themselves artistically with openness and confidence, in a genuine and culturally connected way, MĀHŪ embraces the wide spectrum of gender rooted in the strength and validity of Hawaiian queer and transgender identities.

Credits
Writer: Lisette Marie Flanary
Producer: Lisette Marie Flanary
Executive Producer: Patrick Makuakāne, Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson
Director of Photography: Keliʻi Grace
Editor: Jhante Iga