Waters of Puʻuloa

Waters of Puʻuloa is a short documentary that chronicles the transformation of the ʻEwa District on Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi, and the waterways of Puʻuloa, now known as Pearl Harbor from a vibrant estuary to a polluted industrial zone. Celebrated for its abundant natural resources and the sophisticated Ahupuaʻa land and water management system, this area has faced severe environmental degradation due to militarization, urbanization and industrialization. The film explores Puʻuloa’s evolution from a thriving hub of abundance, where clean waterways sustained fertile lands and numerous fishponds, to a site of environmental crisis. In the film, Ribeaux features Hawaiian farmers, fishermen, and activists who demonstrate the real life impacts of militarization and over-development. Highlighting the revival of Native Hawaiian practices and the ongoing struggle for restoration and reclamation, the documentary envisions a future where the land and waters of Puʻuloa are once again fertile and thriving.

Film Content Advisory: Depictions of the Red Hill Fuel Spill Crisis and the bombing of Pearl Harbor

Credits
Writer: Tiare Ribeaux
Producer: Tiare Ribeaux, Jill Baker
Executive Producer: Firelight Media, Pacific Islanders in Communications, PBS Hawai’i
Director of Photography: Vincent Bercasio, Malia Adams
Editor: Tiare Ribeaux, Amanda Moy, Anthony Banua-Simon, Shaneika Aguilar
Composer: Auli’i Mitchell, Chris Süesz aka Cease and Ted de Oliveira, Suraj Nepal, Tamuz Dekel, Alon Peretz, Diamonds and Ice
Sound Designer: Christina Nguyen
Music: Kane-i-ka-wai, Gramma Chimes, Inner Sound, Water Queen, Turning Point

Plays in

Healing Water

These two filmmakers explore the inextricable links betweens climate change and colonialism, how the exploitation of the Native Hawaiian people has led to ineffective management of precious natural resources, through the lens of water and fire.