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"A Captivating, Gorgeous, and Inspiring Love Story" - Lei Magazine
- Posted on 18th Apr
- Category: news
Hawaiian culture empowers and inspires throughout the islands, from the beautiful dance of hula to the traditions of mahu. For Hinaleimoana Kwai Kong Wong-Kalu, a cultural advocate and transgender woman at the center of docu-drama Kumu Hina, this culture has defined her life.
Lei Magazine – Text by Kelli Gratz | Images by Kai Markell
In 2011, filmmakers and partners Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson began a cinematic journey—one that neither of them could have anticipated. The subject they started with was Hinaleimoana Kwai Kong Wong-Kalu, cultural advocate, transgender woman, and Director of Culture at Hawaiian values-based public charter school Halau Lokahi. For the next two years, they followed Wong-Kalu through an interesting time in her life—she had recently married Haemaccelo Kalu, a native of Tonga, and was facing the daily struggles of leading an all-male hula troupe. But throughout the filming process, another story presented itself in the form of a sixth-grade girl named Hoonani, who insisted on joining the troupe. The result of that collision of stories is the gorgeous, inspiring three-character docu-drama Kumu Hina, which comes to PBS in May.
Being in the spotlight seems natural for 42-year-old Wong-Kalu. For more than two decades, she has lived her life as a mahu wahine, or transgender woman, and hasn’t ever looked back. As a child growing up in Honolulu, Wong-Kalu, then named Collin Kwai Kong Wong, knew he was different. He played dress up in his mother’s closet, and as an adolescent attending Kamehameha Schools, was often teased for being too feminine. He felt pressured to be what biology and society deemed him—a boy. But, by the time he was 20 years old, he decided to stop the charade, and transformed into Hinaleimoana, or the goddess of the moon.
Since then, Wong-Kalu has made incredible contributions to the Hawaiian community. A founding member of Kulia Na Mamoa, a community organization aimed to improve the quality of life for mahu wahine, she now chairs the Oahu Burial Council and even ran for a board position on the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, one of the first transgender candidates for political office in the United States. Clearly, she does not limit herself to anything or anyone, and believes in the cultural traditions of mahu, respected teachers and keepers of cultural traditions who were never stigmatized or discriminated. “They have the sensitivity for caring and the soft side which is more associated with wahine (women),”Wong-Kalu says. “Yet they have enough aggressiveness and enough strength—the backbone. Not to say that Hawaiian women were not strong … but the mahu had qualities of both man and woman in them.”
In person, Wong-Kalu is equally aggressive and nurturing. Her large figure, covered in Polynesian tattoos, is easily recognizable by many, and her presence is welcomed at community events and gatherings. I recall one in particular: the Hawaii Marriage Equality Bill signing in 2013. Her voice echoed through the corridors, and though I couldn’t understand everything she was saying since she was speaking in her native tongue, Hawaiian, I could feel her ha (spirit). Her oli (chant) was so powerful that days later, I would get chicken skin just thinking about it.
The film’s trailer has a similar effect. It’s a huge, controversial subject told through a captivating love story. A love between a man and a woman, a love shared between a teacher and student, and a love for culture and tradition. Kumu Hina examines the intricacies of a woman who struggled with her identity and the modern-day perceptions of what it meant to be a mahu. Always hovering in the “place in the middle,”Wong-Kalu is figuring out what her next move will be. No matter what, she will continue to speak her opinion, and inspire all around her.
Kumu Hina Premieres on Independent Lens Monday, May 4, 2015 on PBS. For more information, visit pbs.org/independentlens.
To learn more about the documentary and the woman who inspired it, visit kumuhina.com or aplaceinthemiddle.org.
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"Kumu Hina Has Sparked A New Passion In My Life" - Barb Baus, Bethlehem, Pa
- Posted on 14th Apr
- Category: news
Here is a moving example of why we do what we do as a filmmaking and community education and engagement team. Mahalo Barb, and All in the Lehigh Valley for being a part of these efforts!
Dear Joe, Dean, and Hina:
We had our screening of "Kumu Hina" this past Sunday evening at ArtsQuest Cinema in Bethlehem, Pa. Dana Baker and Ryan Hill at ArtsQuest were most helpful in getting this event here.
I have never been so touched emotionally by any other movie I've seen. My emotions ran the gamut, from joy to anger, from confusion to compassion. I saw a love story unfold before me, love on so many levels and between so many participants. I thank you for making this movie..my thanks to all who were involved.
I get so angry when I see another Facebook post about someone committing suicide because of their gender identity. Another, and another and another. My soul cries for the trans youth of today, who are not getting the support and love they deserve as human beings.
The folks who viewed this movie Sunday night were there because they care. Our panel discussion after the movie was way too short. It became obvious to me that our first order of business here in the Lehigh Valley is education about transgender issues and communication to the trans community that there are many of us who do care, love and support them. I will be planning more panels and opportunities to educate in the near future.
Sorry for the long email. You just need to know that Kumu Hina has sparked a new passion in my life. It has put a face to a GLBT issue that has been overlooked for far too long. Here in the Lehigh Valley, we will be making a difference.
Blessings to you all,
Barb BausApril 13, 2015
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PBS Learning Media Unveils Kumu Hina Educational Resource: 'A Place In The Middle'
- Posted on 11th Apr
- Category: news
A Place in the Middle
Learn about the native Hawaiian approach to gender diversity, the power of cultural heritage, and the true meaning of aloha – love, honor and respect for all – in this short film about an eleven year-old girl who dreams of leading the all-male hula troupe at her school in Honolulu. She's fortunate that her teacher understands the traditional Hawaiian embrace of māhū - those who are “in the middle” between male and female. Together they set out to prove that what matters most is what's inside a person's heart and mind. For further background and materials to support student understanding of the issue see the Classroom Discussion Guide.
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"Kumu Hina, un mahu efféminé, une histoire émouvante." - FranceTV
- Posted on 6th Apr
- Category: news
- Par Marie-Ange Bartoli FranceTV
- Publié le 25/03/2015
Hina, une jeune femme transsexuelle de Hawaï, professeur, défend l'image traditionnelle de "mahu" incarnant à la fois l'esprit masculin et féminin. Le documentaire raconte la transformation de Colin Wong, lycéen timide devenu Hina, femme mariée et directrice culturelle d'un école à Honolulu. Dans cette école, il y a une petite fille à la forte personnalité qui veut rejoindre la troupe d'Hina, une troupe de garçons.
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Kumu Hina Premieres on Independent Lens Monday, May 4, 2015 on PBS
- Posted on 21st Mar
- Category: news
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Kumu Hina Premieres on Independent Lens
Monday, May 4, 2015 on PBS
Film About a Transgender Teacher in Hawaii Brings an Ancient Cultural Perspective to National Debate on Transgender Rights
“In high school, I was teased and tormented for being too girlish. But I found refuge in being Hawaiian. What I hope most to leave with my students is the true meaning of aloha: love, honor, and respect.
It’s a responsibility I take very seriously.” - Kumu Hina
(San Francisco, CA) — At a time when transgender and gender nonconforming people across the U.S. and around the world have achieved unprecedented visibility in popular culture, but continue to suffer extreme violence, harassment, discrimination, and isolation, Independent Lens presents Kumu Hina, a moving film from Hawaii that offers a bold new perspective on gender diversity and inclusion through cultural empowerment. Directed and produced by Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson, Kumu Hina premieres on Independent Lens Monday, May 4, 2015, 10:00- 11:00 PM ET (check local listings), as part of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month programming on PBS.
Kumu Hina is the inspiring story of Hina Wong- Kalu, a transgender native Hawaiian teacher and cultural icon who brings to life Hawaii’s traditional embrace of mahu — those who embody both male and female spirit. 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 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 to 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 glimpse of Hawaii never before seen on film.
“This film introduces us to an unforgettable and courageous woman whose life is simultaneously grounded in ancient tradition and on the forefront of one the most contemporary movements in society today,” said Lois Vossen, founding and deputy executive producer of Independent Lens. “Gender fluidity is a concept that has been understood for thousands of years in Polynesian culture, but is only now beginning to be accepted in the West. Kumu Hina teaches us all how to love and accept ourselves as we are.”
Hamer and Wilson wanted to break new ground with this film project by focusing on the abilities, accomplishments, and contributions of a transgender woman rather than on the prejudice and hostility she has faced. “Kumu Hina portrays a world where instead of transgender people being marginalized because of who they are, they are actually visible, honored, and included,” said the filmmakers. “A world where youth who are searching for their own creative forms of gender expression are embraced and encouraged to be themselves rather than to hide in fear or pretend they are just like everyone one else.”
In conjunction with the national broadcast premiere, the film team is launching an education campaign that includes a special children’s version of the film, distributed for free on PBS LearningMedia, PBS’s destination for educators and students. The film tells Ho‘onani’s story through her own words and colorful animation. “Young people deserve to see a school where everyone is accepted and included,” said Kumu Hina. “That's why it’s so important to also have this short video, A Place in the Middle, that kids as well as teachers and parents will enjoy watching.”
Visit the Kumu Hina companion website (http://www.pbs.org/kumu-hina/), which features information about the film including an interview with the filmmakers, preview clips, and a discussion guide, plus links to A Place in the Middle, and how viewers can make their schools and communities more welcoming and inclusive by taking a #PledgeofAloha.
About the Participants
Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu (Kumu Hina) is a kanaka maoli (Native Hawaiian) teacher, cultural practitioner, and community leader. Born in the Nu’uanu District of Oʻahu Island, Kumu Hina was educated at Kamehameha Schools and the University of Hawaii. She was previously a founding member of Kulia Na Mamo, a community organization established to improve the quality of life for māhū wahine (transgender women), and Cultural Director at a public charter school dedicated to using native Hawaiian culture, history, and education as tools for developing and empowering the next generation of warrior scholars. Kumu Hina is currently a cultural advisor and leader in many community affairs and civic activities, including Chair of the Oahu Island Burial Council, which oversees the management of Native Hawaiian burial sites and ancestral remains. In 2014, Hina announced her bid for a position on the board of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, one of the first transgender candidates to run for statewide political office in the United States.
Haemaccelo Kalu, Kumu Hina’s husband, was born on Niuafo’ou, a small island in the Kingdom of Tonga, and currently lives in Honolulu where he works at 'Iolani Palace.
Ho’onani Kamai, a sixth grade student at the school where Kumu Hina taught, rises to become leader of the all-male hula troupe.
About the Filmmakers
Dean Hamer (Director, Producer) is a National Institutes of Health scientist emeritus, bestselling author, and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker with a long history of communicating complex and controversial ideas to diverse publics. In 2004 he formed Qwaves with partner Joe Wilson to produce insightful and provocative documentaries about often-overlooked social issues. Their films were part of the pioneering days of citizen-generated content on the Internet and cable television, won numerous awards, and have been used as outreach and educational tools by many community and educational organizations. Out in the Silence, the first feature film from Qwaves, premiered at the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival at Lincoln Center to great critical acclaim. Hamer is also known for his research on the genetics of sexual orientation, which was described in his New York Times Book of the Year The Science of Desire. In 2011, he and Joe moved to Oahu, Hawaii to work on Kumu Hina, first in a series of films about Hawaiian lives and voices.
Joe Wilson (Director, Producer) got involved in documentary filmmaking through his professional work and social activism on human rights issues. Frustrated by the limitations of traditional organizing and advocacy, he picked up a camera with hopes of reaching broader audiences with stories that would inform and compel people to act. Together with Qwaves co-founder Dean Hamer, his films on controversial and often ignored human rights issues have won jury and audience awards and official selection at more than 100 film festivals around the country and the world, and received widespread attention for their role in promoting social change. In 2004, Wilson returned to his small hometown of Oil City, Pa., to direct and produce the Sundance-supported, Emmy Award- winning PBS documentary Out in the Silence. Through more than 700 grassroots screenings across the country, this film has become part of a national movement to open dialogue, counter school bullying, and support fairness and equality for all. Wilson and Hamer are currently living and working in Hawaii.
CREDITS
Written, Produced and Directed by Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson
Editor – Nels Bangerter
CoProducer – Connie M. Florez
Original Score – Makana
Animation – Jared Greenleaf, Jed Henry, Ryan Woodward
Camera – Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson, Connie M. Florez, Fred Vanderpoel, John Kuamoo, Cindy Iodice
Kumu Hina is a co-production of Qwaves, LLC and the Independent Television Service (ITVS) in association with Pacific Islanders in Communications, with funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
About Independent Lens
Independent Lens is an Emmy® Award-winning weekly series airing on PBS Monday nights at 10:00 PM. The acclaimed series features documentaries united by the creative freedom, artistic achievement, and unflinching visions of independent filmmakers. Presented by Independent Television Service, the series is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, with additional funding from PBS and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. For more visit pbs.org/independentlens. Join the conversation: facebook.com/independentlens and on Twitter @IndependentLens.
CONTACT
Lisa Tawil 415-356-8383 lisa_tawil@itvs.org
Mary Lugo 770-623-8190 lugo@negia.net
Cara White 843-881-1480 cara.white@mac.com
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CHILDRENʻS JURY AWARD 2015: Childrenʻs Film Festival Seattle
- Posted on 19th Mar
- Category: news
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Keali'i Reichel and Kumu Hina in New York
- Posted on 15th Mar
- Category: news
"Kumu Hina is the Wahine Alo Ehuehu of our time, the Woman Who Faces the Storm," said Keali'i Reichel as he sang "E O Mai" before a screening of "Kumu Hina" at the Ford Foundation in New York on December 10, 2014:
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Pacific Islander Culture, Gender Identity Focus of University of Hawaiʻi West Oʻahu series
- Posted on 5th Mar
- Category: news
The University of Hawaiʻi–West Oʻahu welcomes distinguished visiting scholar and Kanaka Maoli teacher, cultural practitioner and community leader Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu to UH West Oʻahu for a film screening and a series of presentations this February. Wong-Kalu is a founding member and outreach specialist for Kulia Na Mamo, a community organization with a mission to improve the quality of life for māhū wahine (transgender women) and cultural director for Hālau Lōkahi public charter school.
All events are free and open to the public, and sponsored by the UH West Oʻahu Distinguished Visiting Scholars Program.
The program brings seasoned scholars and practitioners in the humanities, social sciences, and indigenous arts, traditions and cultures to UH West Oʻahu for the benefit of students, faculty, staff and the community.
Event information
- Kumu Hina reception, film screening and discussion
Monday, February 23, 4–7 p.m.
UH West Oʻahu, Campus Center Multi-purpose Room, C208UH West Oʻahu will host a film screening of the documentary Kumu Hina followed by a discussion with Wong-Kalu and Kuma Hina Director/Producers Joe Wilson and Dean Hamer. Kumu Hina is told through the lens of Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, an extraordinary Native Hawaiian who is both a proud and confident māhū (transgender woman) and an honored and respected kumu (teacher) and community leader. The documentary focuses on her struggle to maintain Pacific Islander culture in the midst of a modern day Hawaiʻi influenced by Western values.
- “Māhū-Beyond the Binary” class presentation and discussion
Tuesday, February 24, 2–3:20 p.m.
UH West Oʻahu, Classroom Building D253Wong-Kalu will discuss transgender identity with UH West Oʻahu students taking a sociology of sexuality class. There will be a 30 minute presentation followed by a question and answer session.
- Panel discussion with Wong-Kalu
Wednesday, Feb. 25, 5-6:20 p.m.
UH West Oʻahu, Classroom Building D141Wong-Kalu and UH West Oʻahu students taking gender and sexuality in literature and film English class will discuss Western and Pacific Islander constructions of gender identities in a panel presentation format.
See Photos of Event HERE.
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"The True meaning of Aloha" - The Northern Star, Australia
- Posted on 28th Feb
- Category: news
by Javier Encalada, The Northern Star - February 28, 2015:
KUMU HINA is the story of Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, a transgender woman in modern Hawaii, and the work she does to keep her culture alive and her community together.
Imagine a world where a little boy can grow up to be the woman of his dreams, and where a young girl can rise to become a leader among men.
Welcome to Kumu Hina's Hawaii.
Kumu Hina will be the feature film for an ACON (AIDS Council of NSW) fundraiser in Lismore as part of the Byron Bay Film Festival.
We had a chat with co-producer/director Joe Wilson after the children's version of the film had its world premiere last week at the Berlin Biennale.
How was the feature film received by the broader Hawaiian community?
The film premiered in Honolulu's historic Hawaii Theatre as the closing night film in the Hawaii International Film Festival, before a wildly enthusiastic audience of 1,500 people.
Since then, it has been invited for numerous screenings on Maui, Kauai, and Hawaii Island, opening up visibility and conversation about Hawaii's historic embrace of mahu, those who embody both male and female spirit, and have been forced into the shadows for far too long as a result of Western, primarily religious, intolerance.
What is the film's final goal? What does it want to portray, achieve or change?
Although there have been several high profile films about transgender and gender non-conforming people over the years, they have tended to focus on the prejudice, discrimination and hostility that trans people face, rather than on their abilities and accomplishments.
Kumu Hina turns this paradigm around by portraying a world that recognizes those who display both male and female characteristics as gifted and special.
A world where transgender people are visible, included and honoured.
A world where youth who are searching for their own creative forms of gender expression are embraced and encouraged to be themselves rather than to hide in fear or pretend they are just like everyone else.
Who is Hina?
Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, aka Kumu Hina, is a transformational native Hawaiian mahu or transgender woman living a fully-empowered life in a land whose ancient culture was inclusive and accepting.
As a teacher in modern Honolulu, where the westernized environment is much less tolerant, Kumu Hina uses her cultural wisdom to create a place in the middle where all students are welcome, and as a community leader, to help imagine and build a future that is embracing of all.
Do you think the film can trigger a positive change in attitude towards transgender people in the different places it's shown, despite cultural differences?
Yes, absolutely. We have shown the film in a diversity of countries and communities - from New Zealand to China, Venezuela to Germany, New York to San Francisco - and the responses have been overwhelmingly positive.
The film has also been selected for national television broadcast in the US, on PBS Independent Lens, the most prestigious platform for a social issue documentary.
It will reach an audience of more than two million.
The BBFF ACON fundraiser will be held at the Star Court Theatre, Session 1, on Thursday, March 12 from 7.30pm. $15. For details visit www.bbff.com.au.
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"Words of Wisdom: Kumu Hina" - Center for Asian American Media
- Posted on 22nd Feb
- Category: news
February 18, 2015 on the ancient Chinese lunar calendar is New Year’s eve. As I scramble to prepare traditional foods and rituals to usher in the year of the goat, I found myself reflecting on the powerful convictions of a great teacher. You may not have heard of her yet, but I’m sure that in due time, you will because Hinaleimoana Kwai Kong Wong-Kalu (黄貴光) has an inspiring spirit that shines bright on and off the screen. Hinaleimoana is the starring character in a feature documentary called Kumu Hina showing at CAAMFest this year. Here’s an excerpt of an interview I did with her and filmmakers Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson.
—Kar Yin Tham, Center for Asian American Media
Can you talk about how Hawaiian culture became such an important part of your life, in terms of teaching traditions?
Hinaleimoana Kwai Kong Wong-Kalu: Well, on both sides of my family, I was exposed to the strength [from] both my grandmothers actually. My Hawaiian grandmother, she insisted that I be staunch and fastidious about language and accuracy of our culture. She advocated for me to establish a Hawaiian sense of place, Hawaiian presence, Hawaiian manner, a Hawaiian sense of decorum. And she did this because Hawai’i in my growing up was such a rapidly changing place that I know now, later in life, that Hawai’i was so very different from what she knew.So you were raised by your grandmother?
HW: I have been reared primarily by her and my Popo, my Chinese grandmother. She shared much with me that she did not share with my mother and her siblings. My Popo, in her own way, was the same kind of person but more from a place of being. You know, I had this engrained into me growing up that both grandmothers were staunchly holding on to what they could just by virtue of the fact that were bi-cultural.During Chinese New Year, offering tea to our family is the one of the last few things that I still am able to do. You can’t replace that. [If] there’s any one day out of the year you can’t miss, it’s new year. A birthday you might be able to get away with. But you must show up for Chinese New Year, and wish your elders Gong Hei Fat Choy (“Happy New Year” in Cantonese).
Why is it so important for us to have that connection to tradition?
HW: What is modern life? And who dictates modern life? And who sets the standards? And who says that modern life is equated to Western life? And that it is better? For me, that’s been more detrimental. I’ve had to wrestle with, am I going to embrace the mainstream trends that assimilate my manner of engagement and my interaction with people to something more Western? And I say, no, this how I’m going to be. Because if I don’t say it, that I’m going to [live] in the way that I understand my people to be, then what’s the sense of holding onto language? What’s the sense of trying to hold onto culture? It would become a shell. If I were to engage in the Chinese language, but then I had no sense of the Chinese understanding of respect, but I just used the words, it’s an empty shell. Ornamental culture – I’m not a fan of that at all.Is tradition something you try to communicate to the students? And do you feel like its working, because there are a lot of factors against it.
HW: Yes, It works in ways that are not always so obvious. They will realize what they’ve learned when they go. Just before I came up here (San Francisco), I ran into one of my former students. And he didn’t graduate with us, but he had a very, very rough road with us, and he was released because of it. He shared with me, “Thank you Kumu. You know, I remember you teaching us this.” He was extending a helping hand with someone he didn’t always get along with when he was in school [Hālau Lōkahi Public Charter School]. But this other former schoolmate was down and out. And he gave him a helping hand and he said, “I remember that you taught that to us. And that’s how it has to be.” So then I know that, this young man who has been through his life ordeals and now is a father of two is practicing what he was taught. So that’s one of the biggest rewards to have.Can you talk more about how gender is portrayed in the film?
Dean Hamer: I’d say that, the way we made the film was simply to follow Hina. We didn’t set out to say we were going to make a film about gender. We said we were going to make a film about Hina. When Hina lives her life, gender comes up a lot.HW: You know, in the Western context, for the transgender, “passing” or “being passable” for a female to male that has to tie her breasts, for the male the facial hair, an Adam’s Apple and all of these things that are the giveaways for what your true nature is, but in Pacific Island culture there’s more freedom and fluidity to be somewhere in between, but you find the conflict when you have to engage with Western society.
With more traditional elements of Hawaiian society, there are clear roles for the male and for the female, but the definition and the articulation of that is not the same as Western eyes would have it. So, when I say articulation, I mean the physical articulation of a male and a female.
In the film, it shows my friends on the island of Kauai and, you know, they’re certainly very, very androgynous. There’s elements of them that are feminine—Western feminine—and there’s also elements of them that are Western masculine. And there’s no issue.
These are all things that, by Western context, will divide you. Are you this or are you that? But really, it’s the roles that you live. So, the fluidity comes in when you consider that the mahu can exist somewhere in there, but it’s all context specific.
Joe Wilson: It is for Western audiences to view the film in a way that allows them to see how people live in family, community and society outside of construct of labels and who people are supposed to be.
DH: Outside of strict male female labels.
HW: Yes, and for me, I do not like the fact that we are consistently imposed upon by these values that . . . someone from within the LGBT Western perspective have to be so separate and distinct, and this whole idea about a way of life. But, I do not agree with that. I’d rather just be myself, and encourage others to participate in the larger fabric of community and family life.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Kumu Hina screenings
Co-presented by Frameline and sponsored by Pacific Islanders in Communications and Cooper White & Cooper.
New People Cinema
March 13, 2015 7:40 pm
Buy TicketsPFA
March 15, 2015 3:30 pm
Buy Tickets
