OVERVIEW
Kumu Hina is a 2014 documentary film co-produced and co-directed by Dean Hamer & Joe Wilson of Qwaves Films.
The film follows the story of Hina Wong- Kalu, a transgender native Hawaiian teacher and cultural icon who brings to life Hawaii’s long-held embrace of mahu — those who embody both male and female spirit, and were traditionally respected as caretakers, healers, and keepers of ancient traditions. The film traces Hina’s evolution from a timid high school boy to her position as a married woman and cultural director of a school that specializes in Hawaiian language, history and culture, located in one of Honolulu’s grittier neighborhoods. As she contemplates who should lead the school's all-male hula troupe in their final performance, a surprising candidate presents herself: Ho’onani, a sixth grader who is proud to be seen as a mixture of boy and girl. As Kumu Hina helps Ho’onani negotiate the mixed reactions of her classmates and her family, the power of culture to instill a sense of pride and acceptance becomes clear. The film also delves into Hina's pursuit of a dream of her own: a fulfilling romantic relationship. Her tumultuous marriage to a headstrong Tongan man offers insight into the universal challenge of loving somebody outside the norm and a deeper understanding of the true meaning of aloha – love, honor, and respect for all.
Kumu Hina premiered at the Hawaiʻi International Film Festival in 2014 and had its PBS television debut on Independent Lens in May 2015.
The film won the Documentary Jury award at the San Francisco Frameline Film Festival in 2014 and the Independent Lens Audience Award as the most popular documentary among voting viewers for the 2014–2015 season. In 2016, the film won Outstanding Documentary from the GLAAD Media Awards.
Filmmaker magazine called the film "a stunning eye-opener", while Indiewire considered it "incredibly poignant and moving", and YES! magazine commended the film for "lifting the veil on the misunderstood and marginalized experience of 'other' gendered individuals whose identity cannot be defined by the broad strokes of contemporary Western categorization". The film has been termed "revolutionary" for its portrayal of "relationships and aspects of gender identity considered taboo and unmentionable in American society," and is considered to be an important contributor to the normalization of the māhū in mainstream media.
The filmmakers initiated an education campaign to bring Kumu Hina's message to diverse audiences. The campaign, launched at an event at the Ford Foundation, includes a short children's version of the film, A Place in the Middle, and teaching and classroom discussion guides.
