In 1976, a voyaging canoe set sail from Hawai`i to Tahiti for the first time in over 600 years. Accompanying these mariners aboard their historic voyage was a single book. Over 30 years later, the tale told in those pages comes to life through the images of Herb Kawainui Kane and the vision of filmmaker Paul Csige.
Following a crushing defeat in battle, an island people are forced into exile by the victors. In a dream, the chief of the vanquished envisions hope in the form of a guiding bird that will lead them across the unknown sea to a new home.
Canoes are carved; provisions collected and so begins the voyage to find a new home. With only the stars and the promise of land to guide them, they sail north. But life on the sea is not easy. Fish must be caught for food and rain collected for water. Through windless doldrums and horrific storms, they persevere to find their new home, for there is no turning back.
The documentary includes exclusive footage of Hulihe`e Palace and other Big Island locations, and features 19th century chants referring to Ke`elikolani. The musical soundtrack highlights the compositions of William Pitt Leleohoku, Ke`elikolani’s adopted son.
In keeping with Ke`elikolani’s own devotion to Hawaiian language and culture, this half-hour documentary has two versions – English and Hawaiian. Both appear on this DVD.
"How we in Hawaii are going to live together after the war will depend on how we live together during the war". – Shigeo Yoshida, Council for Interracial UnityWith war fears rising, a council for interracial unity organized in Honolulu in 1939 in support of Hawaii’s large Japanese-ancestry community. On December 7, 1941, they sprang into action. Where 120,000 persons of Japanese ancestry were relocated from the West Coast and interned, the behind–the–scenes battle for justice and equality — reaching as far as the White House — set Hawaii on a different course. The First Battle portrays people working together under extreme stress, against tremendous odds. It will change how viewers see Hawaii. The First Battle premiered at the venerable Hawaii Theater on September 5, 2006 to an overflow crowd of 1,400. It is currently touring the Neighbor Islands and the West Coast, and is scheduled for its television premier broadcast on PBS Hawaii on December 7, 2006. The film is being adopted for educational purposes in Hawaii’s public schools in conjunction with the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii.
