NEWS & REVIEWS
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Native Hawaiian leader traces her roots in southern China
Kumu Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu is widely known in Hawaii as a Native Hawaiian cultural leader. She is also deeply proud to be half-Chinese. “I used to be ashamed of it, but the more I understood Chinese culture in my family, the more I understand how lucky to be of that heritage,” said Wong-Kalu. The sister of famed chef Alan Wong was raised by her late Popo Edith Gum Gew Look. “It gets emotional for me to talk about it because she was, she was key in my growing up,” recalled Wong-Kalu as tears welled up in her eyes. “She would wake me up, and she would say, wake up, go make breakfast, hurry up, go!” “My father, his name is Henry Dai Yo Wong, and he’s going to be 92.” Family is what drew her to Southern China. In 2014, Wong-Kalu went to find her distant relatives in Zhongshan.
Posted 3rd Feb in news
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'Aikane' Short Animation by Dan Sousa, Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson, & Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu: Queer Indigenous Feeling
The creative quartet of Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson, Dan Sousa, and Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu create films that consistently tell an indigenous experience in precise animated terms. In their previous effort, 'Kapaemahu', the Hawaiian indigenous past was revealed in the commercialized present (more about the film). In the new short animation, the queer-themed 'Aikāne' (the term meaning intimate friend of the same sex) a queer romance is developed between two men in the very distant past, full of colonial implications. The film has now become Oscar-qualified, after it won the Animated Shorts Jury Award, at the 2023 New Hampshire Film Festival.
Posted 17th Oct in news
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THE 21ST ANNUAL NEW HAMPSHIRE FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES AWARD RECIPIENTS
That’s a wrap! New Hampshire’s largest film festival has announced the recipients of the New Hampshire Film Festival’s (NHFF) prestigious awards after four packed days of screenings, panels, and parties. This is the second year the NHFF is an Academy Awards qualifying festival for short films, making live action and animated shorts jury award recipients eligible to submit for Oscar consideration. Winner of the Shorts Jury Award, Animation (Academy-Qualifying): Aikāne (directed by Daniel Sousa, Dean Hamer & Joe Wilson, produced by Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu.) NHFF Executive Director Nicole Gregg says, “We are so energized that once again, the New Hampshire Film Festival distinguished itself as an important opportunity for filmmakers who come from near and far, and for audiences, who not only get to see the films, but are encouraged to interact with directors, writers, producers, actors, and cinematographers.”
Posted 17th Oct in news
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AAPI Heritage Month: Māhū & Kumu Hina - Your Angry Neighborhood Feminist Podcast
In this episode, host Madigan Haggerty leads listeners on a fascinating exploration of the stories in the documentary via her realtime reactions to the characters and scenes as the film unfolds.
Posted 3rd Aug in news
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"We Are Here: 30 Inspiring Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Who Have Shaped the United States" - Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center
We are Here is a stunning anthology licensed in partnership with the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center that celebrates 30 of the most inspiring Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in U.S. history. Based on the book, APAC has created 30 Learning Lab collections that introduce visitors to Asian American and Pacific Islander artists, activists, scientists, writers, and more. Each Lab includes access to objects, works of art, videos, archival materials, and websites that expand each person's biography in We Are Here. Meet Hinaleimoana Kwai Kong Wong-Kalu, aka Kumu Hina.
Posted 4th May in news
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Gender Fluidity Is a Part of Hawaiian Culture. How a Children's Book is Reclaiming That - Today on NBC
"Ho'onani: Hula Warrior," a children's book based on a 2014 documentary, can help make conversations about gender identity easier to navigate. - Today on NBC
Posted 1st Jul in news
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7 Polynesian Films To Watch for AAPI Month (And Where To Watch Them) - Collider
The root of Polynesian culture is storytelling. Before language was recorded in written form, histories and cultural traditions were oral records, passed on through word of mouth or cultural dance and performance, like hula. So it's no surprise that Polynesian filmmakers have the same eye for storytelling through the medium of filmmaking. While the average film-goers first exposure to Polynesian culture may be through films like Lilo & Stitch and Moana, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander filmmakers have been telling their own stories for centuries. With Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Month in full swing, Polynesian filmmakers are here to remind us that the original storytellers haven't gone anywhere.
Posted 21st May in news
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15 LGBTQ+ Documentaries That Everybody Needs to Watch - Cosmopolitan Magazine
Now more than ever, queer culture is being embraced by the mainstream. Shows like Pose and Euphoria help shed light on the LGBTQ+ community and tell queer stories. But while diverse narratives like these are important for representation, to get a better grasp of the conversations going on about gender and sexuality you'll have to dig a little deeper. If you want to really want to take a deeper dive into the stories of the LGBTQ+ community, you need to learn about real stories of real people. And one of the best ways to educate yourself is through documentaries. Cosmopolitan compiled a list of the best LGBTQ+ documentaries that are essential additions to everyone's watch-lists.
Posted 8th Oct in news
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7 Essential Pacific Films to Add to Your Queue, from "Once Were Warriors" to "Kumu Hina" - Sundance Institute
In celebration of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, it brings me great pleasure to highlight some of my favourite offerings when it comes to films from and/or about the Pacific. Before I do that, though, I think it’s important to give context around what constitutes a “Pacific Islander.” Pacific Islanders are not a monolith. The same way the all-encompassing pan-Asian “Asian” identity lumps over 40 distinct cultures together, the “PI” part fails to capture the nuance of over 20 diverse nations. In using these labels, you often have voices from particular countries dominate discourse, while others get erased based on factors like population size, political power, and anti-Blackness. In composing this list, I wanted to be very intentional in moving away from the usual Hollywood tropes, stereotypes, and one-dimensional narratives that sell in favor of amplifying lesser-known voices and issues to American audiences. OK! So now that we’ve covered that off, let’s get into it!
Posted 22nd May in news
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Kapaemahu Wins at India’s Bengaluru International Short Film Fest - AnimationXpress
Co-created by director-producers Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson, Kapaemahu reveals the healing power of four mysterious stones on Waikiki Beach – and the legendary transgender spirits within them.
Posted 19th Aug in news
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Kumu Hina Named One of Hawaiiʻs “Women of the Century” - USA Today
This year, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, when American women won the right to vote, the USA TODAY Network is naming 10 women from every state, plus the District of Columbia, as “Women of the Century.” These women have made significant contributions to their communities, states and country with documented achievements in areas like arts and literature, business, civil rights, education, entertainment, law, media, nonprofits and philanthropy, politics, science and medicine, and sports
Posted 14th Aug in news
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13 FASCINATING MOVIES THAT CELEBRATE THE RICHNESS OF THE TRANSGENDER EXPERIENCE - RVA Magazine
In Introduction to Transgender Studies, published in February 2019 by academic LGBTQ publisher Harrington Park Press, author Ardel Haefele-Thomas explores the historical and political contexts of transgender lives. They also share intimate personal stories and essays by trans people from around the world, and celebrate transgender people’s contributions to the worlds of art, literature, and culture. Haefele-Thomas recommends 13 films about transgender people and featuring transgender subjects and themes. If you feel less familiar with the transgender experience than you’d like to be, this list is a good place to start.
Posted 30th Nov in news
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"Whose independence? Why some Native Hawaiians don’t celebrate on July 4" - The Christian Science Monitor
As Americans gather in backyards and public parks around the United States, Ms. Wong-Kalu will be performing at the ʻIolani Palace, the cultural heart of Honolulu. There, she will be portraying Hawaii’s Queen Liliʻuokalani, who was imprisoned in the palace during the 1893 overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom by American businessmen and plantation owners. Within five years, the U.S. government annexed the islands, setting the stage for Hawaii to become the 50th U.S. state in 1959. But Ms. Wong-Kalu doesn’t feel much like an American. She is first and foremost a Kanaka Maoli, or Native Hawaiian.
Posted 3rd Jul in news
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"Ho'onani Hula Warrior" - Kirkus Book Review
In this picture book based on a true story, a nonbinary youth finds her place as a hula warrior. An empowering celebration of identity, acceptance and Hawaiian culture based on the true story of a young girl in Hawaiʻi who dreams of leading the boys-only hula troupe at her school. Hoʻonani deserves a place on any shelf.
Posted 3rd Jul in news
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"Kumu Hina and living in the middle" - The Retriever
Our world is consistently being defined by gender. Whether it is in relationships, the workplace or even in religion, there tend to be distinctions between and emphasis on binary genders. However, in Hawaiian culture, people accept that there is a place, called “mahu,” in between genders.
Posted 7th Dec in news
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"Influential Kumu Honored as 2018 Native Hawaiian Community Educator of the Year" - Hawaii News Now
Kumu Hina, a pioneer and strong advocate for the Native Hawaiian community was recognized this week with the honor of being named Native Hawaiian Community Educator of the Year by Kamehameha Schools. Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, well known as “Kumu Hina,” has served the Native Hawaiian community in various forms as a student, teacher, political voice, rights advocate and role model for more than two decades.
Posted 9th Oct in news
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Kumu Hina Wins the Lucía Award for Best Documentary at the Festival Internacional de Cine de Gibara in Cuba
El premio Lucía al Mejor documental lo mereció recayó en el estadounidense Kumu Hina (Dean Hamer y Joe Wilson, 2015), que está protagonizado por la mahu o transgénero hawaiana nativa Hina Wong-Kalu, quien utiliza la cultura tradicional de este archipiélago para inspirar a un alumno a reclamar su lugar como líder de la troupe de hula, exclusivamente masculina de la escuela. Mas a pesar de su éxito como maestra, Hina anhela el amor y una relación comprometida.
Posted 10th Jul in news
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"Echo, Oregon Councilman Criticized for Gay Slur, Child Porn Resigns" ~ KVEW-TV news
A month after a KAPP-KVEW investigation revealed Echo, Oregon City Councilman Lou Nakapalau's child porn conviction from 2000, the councilman is resigning. Nakapalau was plunged into the national spotlight in October when he used an anti-gay slur on the Facebook page for the PBS?Independent Lens film "Kumu Hina." An investigation later revealed the councilman and community volunteer had nine felony conviction counts of child pornography in Clark County, Washington from 2000. A group of about a half dozen community members, including outspoken Echo business owner Pam Reese, have called for Nakapalau's resignation since October.
Posted 19th Jan in news
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CATCH CAAMFEST FILMS ON VIRGIN AMERICA AIRLINE’S SKYFEST INDEPENDENT FILM SHOWCASE
Will you be flying Virgin America Airlines at all this fall? Catch three films in our CAAMFest spotlight, presented by the SkyFest independent film showcase on Virgin America airlines!
Posted 22nd Dec in news
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"Run for Office, or you get Child Porn Convict Lou Nakapalau" ~ East Oregonian Editorial
Nakapalau has used his time on the council to bring nationwide embarrassment to the small city. He used his Facebook account to tell a gay filmmaker in Hawaii: “When you croak of AIDS (Anally Injected Death Serum) I’ll spit on your grave.” Media coverage of that comment, and Nakapalau’s unwillingness to apologize for it or even comment on it, brought an understandable backlash from some Echo residents against their city government. That backlash then spurred a backlash of its own, which created division and distrust in the community — from its political life to its downtown commerce to its public schools. It’s a mess. And it doesn’t appear that mess will get cleaned up soon. Nakapalau has shown no signs of resigning his seat, and city council has no ability to throw him out under Oregon law. It’s up to residents to start a recall petition.
Posted 20th Dec in news
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Echo, Oregon Councilman Leaves Meeting When Asked About Child Porn Conviction (VIDEO) ~ KAPP TV
A KAPP-KVEW TV investigation reveals a sitting city councilman and volunteer with local kids programs was convicted of possessing child pornography 17 years ago. Following an incident in October when Echo, Oregon councilman Louis Kauhane Nakapalau used a homophobic slur on the Kumu Hina film Facebook page, several concerned Echo residents alerted KAPP-KVEW of the councilman’s possible criminal history.
Posted 15th Dec in news
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"Gay-bashing Oregon City Councilor Convicted of Possessing Child Porn" ~ East Oregonian
The Echo City Council adopted a code of ethics and social media policy on Thursday night, but Councilor Lou Nakapalau was not there to cast his vote after being confronted before the meeting by a member of the media about documents showing he had previously been convicted of possessing child pornography. Pam Reese, an Echo business owner, said Nakapalau showed up early to the VFW hall where the meeting was being held, but walked out without a word after a reporter from KVEW-TV in the Tri-Cities asked him about the documents. Reese has been a vocal opponent of Nakapalau since October, after the Echo councilor told Joe Wilson, a gay filmmaker from Hawaii, that he would spit on Wilson’s grave after he died of AIDS and called Wilson an anti-gay slur on Facebook.
Posted 15th Dec in news
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"When Online Worlds Collide" ~ East Oregonian Editorial
The internet troll, once an anonymous denizen of message boards and chat rooms who held little sway in the real world, has come into the light with the prevalence and power of social media. We saw it earlier this month as Echo city councilman Lou Nakapalau weaponized his Facebook account in a war of words with a documentary filmmaker. Nakapalau accosted director Joe Wilson, who is gay, on the page for his film "Kumu Hina," using slurs and saying if Wilson died of AIDS he would spit on his grave.
Posted 27th Oct in news
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"Oregon Councilman Attacks Hawaii Filmmaker" ~ KITV 4 Island News
An Oregon Councilman fires anti-gay slurs at a Hawaii film maker. Then came an apology, but not by the man who took aim at the LGBT community.
Posted 26th Oct in news
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"Town rallies support for LGBTQ community following councilman's anti-gay comments" ~ KAPP-KVEW News
A small town in eastern Oregon is in the national spotlight for comments made by one its city council members. It all started in early October, screenshots showing Echo councilman Lou Nakapalou commenting on a fan page for Kumu Hina, a film about a transgender woman in Hawaii.
Posted 25th Oct in news
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Oregon City Council Member Tells Gay Man: ‘I’ll Spit on Your Grave When You Die of AIDS' - INTO Magazine
An Oregon town has apologized after a member of its city council told a gay man to go die of AIDS. Lou Nakapalau, who sits on the council of Echo City, reportedly harassed filmmaker Joe Wilson on Facebook in response to an article Wilson posted on workplace protections for transgender people. Nakapalau claimed that he was “sick of the LGBTQ crowd shoving their keyed up agenda down my throat.”
Posted 25th Oct in news
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"Oregon Council Member Ignites Online Feud With Hate Against Kumu Hina Filmmaker" - Instinct Magazine
Echo City, Oregon councilmember, Lou Nakapalau, recently got into an online feud with openly gay filmmaker Joe Wilson. On the Facebook page for Wilson’s film Kumu Hina, Nakapalau voice his distaste after an article that talked about transgender workers no longer being protected by federal anti-discrimination laws. Kumu Hina, is a documentary about a transwoman from Hawaii.
Posted 24th Oct in news
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"City council member tells Kumu Hina filmmaker he'll spit on his grave after he dies of AIDS" - Gay Star News
The city of Echo, Oregon issued an apology after a city council member’s disturbing Facebook comments on 7 October. City councilor Lou Nakapalau made the comments on a Facebook page for the film Kumu Hina. The film in question is about a transgender Hawaiian woman. Nakapalau got into an argument with filmmaker Joe Wilson about transgender rights. The debate culminated in Nakapalau telling Wilson he was going to spit on his grave after Wilson dies of AIDS.
Posted 24th Oct in news
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"City of Echo, OR Issues Apology for Councilor’s Facebook Comments" ~ East Oregonian
After Echo city councilor Lou Nakapalau told a gay man on Facebook, "Kumu Hina" director Joe Wilson, that he would spit on his grave when he died of AIDS, the city council voted to issue a public apology and work on a social media policy.
Posted 22nd Oct in news
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"Facebook Comments by Oregon City Councilor Highlight Fears of Coming Out" ~ East Oregonian
The exchange between Wilson, who lives in Hawaii, and Nakapalau happened on the “Kumu Hina” Facebook page, named after a documentary Wilson released in 2014 about a transgender Hawaiian woman. Wilson had posted an article about the Trump administration’s statement that transgender workers are not protected by federal anti-discrimination laws. Nakapalau commented that transgender people already have rights and he’s “Sick of the LBGTQ crowd shoving their ho keyed up agenda down my throat.”
Posted 11th Oct in news
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New Film from "Kumu Hina" Team to Premiere in Washington, DC and Los Angeles
A new short documentary from O'ahu-based directors Dean Hamer & Joe Wilson, producer Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, and esteemed editor Bill Weber has been selected to premiere in competition in two prestigious film festivals: AFI DOCS in Washington, DC (June 16) and the LA Film Festival in Los Angeles, CA (June 18). LADY EVA is the story of a transgender girl in Tonga who sets off on a journey to become her true self, with a little inspiration from Tina Turner along the way.
Posted 14th May in news
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"A Multimedia Community Educational Campaign for Gender Diversity & Inclusion" - The Communication Initiative Network
Revolving around the film and curricular tools to spark discussion and learning within the school context, the initiative offers a model of the advantages diversity brings to the entire community and the importance of understanding and preserving indigenous culture. Exploring topics ranging from bullying to colonialism, from the importance of parental acceptance and support to the difficulties of holding onto Pacific Islander values, "Kumu Hina" is designed to appeal to everyone who seeks a more just and peaceful world.
Posted 24th Apr in news
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Hawaii Film About Transgender Woman Is At Center Of Federal Debate - Honolulu Civil Beat
Trump wants to eliminate money for public broadcasting, and support for “Kumu Hina” is cited as one reason for the budget cut.
Posted 18th Apr in news
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"Kumu Hina Documentary Takes Center Stage in National Debate Over PBS Funding" - Hawaii News Now
"PBS is about empowering and enabling the marginalized voices within the diversity of our community," said Kumu Hina in response to news that Maryland Congressman Rep. Andy Harris, a Republican, cited the Hawaii-produced documentary as one of the reasons why federal funding should be eliminated.
Posted 14th Apr in news
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INDIE CAUCUS RESPONSE TO STATEMENTS BY CONGRESS ABOUT DIVERSE PBS DOCUMENTARIES
On March 28th, during the Congressional Subcommittee Hearing on President Trump's plan to eliminate the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), Rep. Andy Harris (R, Maryland) singled out three PBS broadcast documentary films that he thought should not have been supported by public dollars: The New Black (directed by Yoruba Richen), Kumu Hina (directed by Joe Wilson and Dean Hamer), and Baby Mama High (directed by Heather Ross). Each of these films focused on different stories about women of color in America.
Posted 6th Apr in news
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Diverse Documentaries Under Attack as Congressman Questions Public Broadcasting ‘Agenda’ -- IndieWire
Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.) singled out PBS' "Independent Lens" docs "The New Black," "Baby Mama High" and "Kumu Hina" as not appropriate for funding.
Posted 4th Apr in news
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UN Experts, Diplomats Demand Equal Rights for Transgenders in Pakistan with "Kumu Hina" Screening
ISLAMABAD: Transgender activists, government representatives, community representatives, diplomats and UN experts gathered here on Thursday at the UN Information Centre to discuss the educational, economic and health issues facing the transgender community in Pakistan. The event was jointly organised by the High Commission of Canada and the UN Information Centre and was followed by the screening of documentary "Kumu Hina" which features the real story of Hina Wong-Kalu, a native Hawaiian transgender.
Posted 21st Dec in news
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‘Kumu Hina’ film teaches lessons of love - The Slate
Aloha means more than bright leis and grass skirts; the word encompasses unconditional love to all and respect for Hawaiian culture. On Tuesday, Nov. 1, students gathered in Shippenburg State University's Orndorff Theatre to view a PBS film titled, “Kumu Hina: The True Meaning of Aloha.”
Posted 9th Nov in news
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Our New Film from Tonga
Last December, we were invited to screen Kumu Hina in the Kingdom of Tonga, a beautiful island nation arrayed across thousands of miles of the South Pacific, steeped in tradition and proud of its independence. As filmmakers, we immediately began to shoot all that was unfolding around us. We captured footage of the pageant, and of Joey and other leitis preparing for the event and attending to other aspects of daily life in the kingdom. Inspired by what we saw and the belief that these stories could build on the foundation laid by the Kumu Hina project to deepen understanding and promote positive social change on a global scale, we applied for and received Research and Development funding from Pacific Islanders in Communications to explore further.
Posted 31st Oct in news
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"Growing Up Trans" - PBS Frontline
Just a generation ago, it was adults, not kids, who changed genders. But today, many children are transitioning, too — with new medical options, and at younger and younger ages. In Growing Up Trans, FRONTLINE takes viewers on an intimate and eye-opening journey inside the struggles and choices facing transgender kids and their families.
Posted 26th Oct in news
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Sexual and Gender Diversity in Native America and the Pacific Islands - National Park Service
Although scholars of LGBTQ history have generally been inclusive of women, the working classes, and gender-nonconforming people, the narrative that is found in mainstream media and that many people think of when they think of LGBTQ history is overwhelmingly white, middle-class, male, and has been focused on urban communities. While these are important histories, they do not present a full picture of LGBTQ history. To include other communities, we asked the authors to look beyond the more well-known stories. Inclusion within each chapter, however, isn’t enough to describe the geographic, economic, legal, and other cultural factors that shaped these diverse histories. Therefore, we commissioned chapters providing broad historical contexts for two spirit, transgender, Latino/a, African American Pacific Islander, and bisexual communities.
Posted 25th Oct in news
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OUTREACH, DISTRIBUTION AND ENGAGEMENT FOR KUMU HINA - Pacific Islanders in Communications
Making a documentary is a lot of work. But once the final frame is finished, how do you make sure that your film is seen and has the impact you're hoping for? What we found for our PIC-supported documentary KUMU HINA is that outreach, distribution and engagement are just as demanding, and as important, as the filmmaking itself.
Posted 25th Oct in news
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"A Place in the Middle" on The Laura Flanders Show
"Native Hawaiians have a lot to teach us about our limited approach to gender diversity. Dean Hamer & Joe Wilson produced a film on exactly that. Now they're releasing a curriculum in connection with the film." Journalist and author Laura Flanders, interviews forward thinking people from the world of politics, business and arts.
Posted 8th Oct in news
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"Kumu Hina: Bold, Raw, and Unforgettable" - The Palm Springs Desert Sun
“Kumu Hina” — bold, raw, and unforgettable, triumphed in storytelling. The doc spotlighted a transgender native Hawaiian teacher and cultural icon who relays stories about Hawaii's long-held embrace of “mahu” ...
Posted 8th Sep in news
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Free Gender Diversity Resources for Educators
As the new school year begins, communities across the country are searching for ways to help ensure that all students, including transgender students, can attend school in an environment free from discrimination. To help educators seeking to deepen their own understanding and get students thinking and talking about how to create a welcoming and inclusive school climate, a powerful resource modeled on Hawaiian culture's tradition of gender diversity is being made available for free to all interested in putting them to use in the classroom.
Posted 7th Sep in news
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"22 Awesome LGBT Documentaries You Need to Watch on Netflix" - Here Media
These documentaries show just how diverse our lives are. LGBT people live vastly different lives, and documentaries provide a window into how our family is living around the world, or lived through different periods of history. These 22 documentaries currently streaming on Netflix cover a range of subjects, from gay and lesbian parenting, to transgender athletes who are breaking barriers.
Posted 24th Aug in news
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Kumu Hina Receives the NEA's Ellison S. Onizuka Award for Human & Civil Rights
The National Education Association has recognized and honored those who have fought — and continue to fight — for human and civil rights at a moving and inspiring awards gala since 1967. This year, NEA will thank and honor the outstanding work of Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu and 12 of America’s social justice heroes at its annual Human and Civil Rights Awards Dinner on July 3 in Washington. Among Hina’s greatest accomplishments is the development of a multi-award winning PBS production called “A Place in the Middle.” Through this 25-minute kid-friendly film, viewers are left with a powerful message that focuses on acceptance, love, and anti-bullying.
Posted 5th Jul in news
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"THE TRANS-FOCUSED ENTERTAINMENT YOU SHOULD BE WATCHING" -- Tribeca Film Institute
Highly distinctive and endlessly illuminating, Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson's documentary follows Hina Wong-Kalu, a Hawaiian teacher and māhū (i.e. transgender woman), as she strives to maintain her native culture and encourages one of her promising female students to lead the school's all-male hula group. Kumu Hina, which is also available in an educational children's version, is a moving and empowering story about a person, place, and culture the movies rarely take an interest in, unless presented with the opportunity to cast Emma Stone as half-Asian. So Kumu Hina is a rarity that's hard to imagine many audience members selecting of their own volition, but it's a rarity that has a great deal to tell and teach us, if we only wish to learn.
Posted 19th Jun in news
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"UOTeachOUT To Screen Documentary on Transgender Teacher" - Eugene Weekly
On May 12, UOTeachOUT hosts a screening of "A Place in the Middle," followed by a discussion with Kumu Hina Wong-Kalu. The film’s directors, Dean Hamer & Joe Wilson, will also be present.
Posted 7th May in news
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"Advocates Push DOE On Guidelines For Transgender Students" - Hawaii Public Radio
Transgender advocates are calling on the Hawai‘i State Department of Education to move more quickly on creating specific guidelines for transgender students. An online petition supporting those plans - launched by The Kumu Hina Project - has already received more than 5,600 signatures over the past two weeks.
Posted 6th May in news
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"What’s Next for DOE's Policy on Transgender Students?" -- The Conversation on Hawaii Public Radio
The kids in the middle got a boost this week when a group petitioned the DOE to create and implement a gender diversity policy backed with training for teachers and administrators. Joe Wilson is half of the documentary team which produced the film Kumu Hina about an inspiring Native Hawaiian teacher who uses traditional culture to empower her students. He now coordinates The Kumu Hina Project, the educational effort that emerged from the film. It’s aimed at making schools and communities safe and inclusive across the gender spectrum.
Posted 6th May in news
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"Transgender Community Takes Petition to BOE" - KITV Island News
Members of the transgender community delivered a petition to the Hawaii Board of education on Tuesday asking for guidelines and training in Hawaii schools for working with transgender students. Kumu Hina Wong-Kalu addressed the board, outlining what they sought in the petition, which over 5,400 people from around the world and Hawaii had signed.
Posted 5th May in news
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"Seeking A Step Forward For Transgender Students" - by Todd Simmons, Honolulu Civil Beat
Transgender leaders called on the Board of Education for fair treatment of students. For one activist, it was worth missing a White House visit.
Posted 4th May in news
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"Petition Calls for Hawaii Schools to Protect Transgender Students" - Hawaii News Now
Transgender leaders are calling on Hawaii public schools to develop guidelines and training to protect transgender students from discrimination. Advocates with the Kumu Hina Project hand-delivered a petition Tuesday with more than 5,400 signatures to Board of Education members.
Posted 4th May in news
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"Policy on Transgender Students Urged" - Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Local transgender community leaders and supporters are calling on education officials to implement policies and staff training to ensure the safety and fair treatment of transgender students in Hawaii public schools. Kumu and cultural practitioner Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, a transgender woman, said the lack of clear guidelines for school leaders has led to some transgender students being discriminated against, bullied and harassed in school.
Posted 4th May in news
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"Advocates Ask State For Clear Policies On Transgender Students" - Honolulu Civil Beat
The Kumu Hina Project asks the Department of Education to protect transgender students’ rights.
Posted 3rd May in news
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Media Advisory: Transgender Leaders to Deliver Petition to Hawaii Department of Education
Prominent transgender figures including fashion designer Ari South, soccer and film star Jaiyah Saelua, and teacher and cultural practitioner Hina Wong-Kalu will gather with local transgender students and their families and community supporters to express the urgent need, and offer a strong show of support, for the Hawaii Department of Education to establish guidelines and training to ensure that students across the gender spectrum are respected and protected in schools.
Posted 2nd May in news
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White House Recognizes Kumu Hina Among “Champions of Change”
On Wednesday, May 4, the White House recognizes ten individuals from across the country as “White House Champions of Change for Asian American and Pacific Islander Art and Storytelling.”
Posted 30th Apr in news
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Transgender Student Unable to Walk With Graduating Class - ABC National News
"My intention in making this film and having the petition is just to make sure that no other child, even if they're not transgender or part of the LGBT community, doesn't have to go through something like this. It's not okay," Purcell told ABC News.
Posted 23rd Apr in news
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Transgender Woman Denied Walk at Kahuku Graduation - KITV News Honolulu
Jennea Purcell is a transgender woman living in Laie. She says she was denied the right to walk at graduation last year as a woman at Kahuku High School. Purcell is sharing her story in hopes of persuading the state Department of Education to come up with a policy on how transgender students are treated.
Posted 22nd Apr in news
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Transgender Woman Urges Inclusion, Respect at Hawaii Public Schools - KHON TV 2 Honolulu
“What gain and what benefit would this young transgender woman have to subject herself to the scrutiny and the judgments of the community, knowing what will come?” Kumu Hina Wong-Kalu asked. “When you are put down because this is your personal articulation and expression of yourself, you question everything else that you do.”
Posted 22nd Apr in news
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"Hawaii Schools Need A Transgender Policy Now" - Honolulu Civil Beat
More and more transgender and gender nonconforming youth are finding the courage to express their authentic identity. They deserve the same access to education as every other child in Hawaii's schools. But as Jennea's story, and many others like it, clearly show, they are instead being singled out for harassment and discrimination - not by other students, but by the very school officials who are supposed to serve and protect them.
Posted 20th Apr in news
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Kumu Hina Wins at GLAAD Media Awards, Hollywood Vows to Continue Fight Against Anti-LGBT Laws
GLAAD is an advocacy group aiming to accelerate the acceptance of LGBT people by holding media accountable for their representations of the community in TV, film and other disciplines. Each year, the best, most inclusive and nuanced portrayals are recognized with a nomination at its media awards.
Posted 4th Apr in news
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It Gets Better for Kumu Hina at Kamehameha Schools
On Wednesday, April 6, Kamehameha Schools welcomes 1990 graduate Hina Wong-Kalu back to its Honolulu campus for a very special evening of film, music, and conversation.
Posted 30th Mar in news
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A TRANS* Pacific Talk Story: A Night of Mahuwahine and Translatina Solidarity at the University of Hawai'i
All are invited to a night to celebrate mahuwahine and translatina solidarity spanning the Pacific. How often do we use a critical lens to look at political issues from both an indigenous and transgender perspective? Please join us to take part in a dynamic cross-cultural dialogue about: Identity. Land. Occupation Colonization. Abuse. Deportation. Activism. Hope. Community. Love. Advocacy. Justice. Liberation.
Posted 22nd Mar in news
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Kamehameha Schools Rendition of Kumu Hinaʻs "Kū‘u ha‘aheo e ku‘u Hawai‘i - Stand tall my Hawai‘i"
"I was truly honored to have my composition, my mele Ku Haaheo e Kuu Hawaii featured in the finale of this yearʻs Hoike of Kamehameha Schools Song Contest 2016. Mahalo for this wonderful honor to all those whom made this yearʻs Hoike possible. I am so very proud of the students who presented the mele and yes I stood with you and sang last night too. I wasnʻt going to but I didnʻt want to let you all down." - Kumu Hina Wong-Kalu
Posted 20th Mar in news
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Reframe Gender Through Film - A Gender Spectrum Conversation with Joe Wilson & Dean Hamer
"In order to highlight the way films bring gender stories to life, we created the Reframing Gender Through Film group. This group is a dedicated space for parents/caregivers, family members, teens and professionals to discuss the role of film in raising awareness about expanding understanding of gender and gender diversity. We invite you to join our group, participate in our forum, and contribute to the conversation by sharing videos, film titles, links for viewing, and discussion topics. Tune into our first broadcast of the Reframe Gender Through Film Series, February 9, 2016 - 3:00pm to 4:00pm (PST) - A Conversation with Joe Wilson and Dean Hamer, Producers of A Place in the Middle. Check out the film beforehand at www.aplaceinthemiddle.org. Tweet/follow us at @GenderSpectrum."
Posted 10th Feb in news
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Local Film Earns Nomination For ‘Gay Oscar’ -- Honolulu Civil Beat
Featured last year on PBS and in some of the world’s best film festivals, Kumu Hina is now up for best documentary at the GLAAD Media Awards.
Posted 30th Jan in news
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KUMU HINA Nominated for GLAAD Media Award
The GLAAD Media Awards recognize and honor media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and the issues that affect their lives. KUMU HINA has been nominated in the Outstanding Documentary category!
Posted 28th Jan in news
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"A Place in the Middle" Included in New Resource: "Expanding Gender: Youth Out Front"
A primer for students, teachers, administrators, and parents, Expanding Gender: Youth Out Front, explores the varied identities of trans and gender expansive youth and young adults through four documentaries that allow these brave individuals to share their own stories. This collection features professionally developed curriculum for use in Gay-Straight Alliance meetings, as well as integration into classrooms. An accompanying Action Guide for Gay-Straight Alliances includes resources to enhance GSA activism—within schools and communities at large—thus creating safer spaces for LGBTQ people.
Posted 26th Jan in news
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Making Democracy Work -- A League of Women Voters interview with Kumu Hina
Carl Campagna interviews Kumu Hina about "A Place in the Middle" - a culturally-centered campaign to promote gender diversity and inclusion for all.
Posted 25th Jan in news
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"Mahu Demonstrate Hawaii’s Shifting Attitudes Toward LGBT Life" - Al Jazeera
LGBT advocates say Hawaii’s native culture traditionally accepted more nuanced gender roles, and current attitudes toward gender and sexual identity in Hawaii have been affected by colonization, land seizures, the suppression of Hawaiian language and culture, and the imposition of moral codes by Western missionaries.
Posted 10th Jan in news
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Documentary on Transgender Hawaiian Caps Fiji Human Rights Festival - ABC Radio Australia
The Nothing Less Than Equal Film Festival ends in Suva, with a screening of 'Kumu Hina', a documentary about a transgender native Hawaiian woman who found refuge in her traditional culture.
Posted 11th Dec in news
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Transgender Love Story Closes Fiji Film Festival - Radio New Zealand
A Hawaiian-Tongan transgender love story was the focus of the last film at the 11 day long Nothing Less Than Equal Film Festival in Fiji.
Posted 11th Dec in news
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Free & Equal in the South Pacific: Kumu Hina Screenings in Fiji & Tonga
This week, directors, and project ambassadors, Dean & Joe are off to share a message of gender diversity and inclusion with audiences in Fiji and Tonga!
Posted 6th Dec in news
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UOTeachOUT: Leadership Summit & Educational Series on Gender Identity & Sexual Orientation Issues in Education to Feature KUMU HINA & A PLACE IN THE MIDDLE
Save the Date: Thursday, May 12, 2016 -- The University of Oregon's UOTeachOUT 2016 Youth Leadership Summit -- Featuring: Documentary filmmakers Joe Wilson & Dean Hamer, and teacher and keynote speaker Kumu Hina. And screening two amazing new documentary films: "A Place in the Middle" and "Kumu Hina"
Posted 26th Nov in news
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NITV Australia Respects Transgender Day of Remembrance with 'Kumu Hina' & 'A Place in the Middle'
National Indigenous Television pays its respects to the Transgender Day of Remembrance on 20 November 2015, a day that we believe is an opportunity to look hopefully towards the future, while taking guidance from the culture and heritage of our past.
Posted 20th Nov in news
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"An Interview with Native Hawaiian Activist Kumu Hina" -- Radio 94.1FM KPFA -- Berkeley, CA
Sharon Sobotta talks with Kumu Hina, subject of an award-winning PBS documentary, about gender and sexuality in native Hawaiian culture.
Posted 17th Nov in news
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"How Can Our Community Better Understand Gender Diversity?" -- Insights on PBS Hawaii - Nov.12, 2015
Following a broadcast of "A Place in the Middle" -- the short, youth-focused, educational version of "Kumu Hina," -- PBS Hawaii hosted a one-hour on-air conversation to help promote understanding, acceptance and inclusion of all people, across the gender spectrum, in our communities.
Posted 14th Nov in news
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雞蛋花的世界：《跨性夏威夷》Plumeria World: "Cross of Hawaii" -- 知名影評─但唐謨, Taiwanese Film Critic Dàn Táng Mó
紀錄片《跨性夏威夷》的男／女主角荷娜就非常喜歡在頭上帶著一朵雞蛋花，搭配他壯碩的體格，呈現了一份力與美的陰性魅力。《跨性夏威夷》記錄一段遙遠文化下的性別之旅。位處太平洋的夏威夷也有著長遠殖民歷史，雖然是美國的一州，當地的傳統仍然是南島文化。傳統夏威夷的性別概念，除了男女之外，還有一種介於兩者之間的性別「māhū」。māhū兼具男女兩種性別，也同時擁有兩者的優越性；但是經過長久的歐洲殖民，象徵夏威夷當地傳統性別文化的māhū也受到了打壓。 Documentary "Cross of Hawaii," the male / female Hena would very much like eggs in the head with a flower, with his burly physique, showing a negative power and beauty of the charm. "Cross of Hawaii" record period of sex tours under distant culture. Located in the Pacific Ocean, Hawaii also has a long-term colonial history, although it is part of the United States, local tradition is still Austronesian culture. Traditional Hawaiian concept of gender, in addition to men and women, there is a cross between gender between "māhū." māhū both men and women of both sexes, and also has the advantages of both; but after a long European colonization, a symbol of Hawaiian culture, local traditional gender māhū also been suppressed.
Posted 31st Oct in news
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"It's About Being Brave" - The Garden Island News
“KUMU HINA is about being brave,” said Kati Conant, Hale Halawai’s executive director. “Brave enough to be not only your true self, but brave enough to be your best self while respecting your culture and, in this case, the Hawaiian culture. There’s a lesson for all humans in this film.”
Posted 22nd Oct in news
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Penn Museum Film Series Explores Gender Boundaries with Hawaiian Stories
“Gender Across Cultures” is the focus of the Penn Museum’s Second Sunday Culture Film Series, which begins Oct. 11. Two documentaries about Hawaii will be shown: “A Place in the Middle” and “Heart of the Sea.” The films are about big ideas, but it should be noted that the two documentaries being screened are neither pretentious nor didactic. On the contrary, they are colorful, eye-opening and fun to watch.
Posted 9th Oct in news
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Encore Broadcast of Kumu Hina on PBS World Channel, October 28, 2015
Imagine a world where a little boy can grow up to be the woman of his dreams, and a young girl can rise to become a leader among men. Welcome to Kumu Hinaʻs Hawaiʻi. PBS World Channel offers an encore broadcast of "Kumu Hina," winner of the Audience Award for the 2014/15 season of PBS / Independent Lens.
Posted 2nd Oct in news
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Hawaii State Public Library System Sponsors Kumu Hina's Bullying Prevention Campaign
The Hawaii State Public Library System will present "A Place in the Middle" - a short Hawaiian film at the heart of a new bullying prevention campaign centered on cultural empowerment and gender inclusion - in a series of screenings at eight selected public libraries statewide from Friday, Sept. 18 through Wednesday, Oct. 28.
Posted 18th Sep in news
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Hawaiian Anti-Bullying Film to Show in Waimea
One Big Island public library will be among seven in the state to present “A Place in the Middle,” a Hawai’i-made anti-bullying film. The film was made to support a culturally-centered campaign for safe and inclusive schools and will be shown at free screenings across the state between Sept. 18 and Oct. 28.
Posted 11th Sep in news
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"Countering Bullying, with Aloha" - The Huffington Post
Bullying doesn't occur in a vacuum; it's the product of underlying stigma and prejudice. That's why it's time to move beyond telling children that it's bad to be mean, and start showing them why it's good to be inclusive and accepting - not just for the targets of bullying, but for everyone in the school and community.
Posted 19th Aug in news
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"What Native Hawaiian Culture Can Teach Us About Gender Identity" - Yes! Magazine
As the documentary Kumu Hina reveals, living between both genders is the more powerful “mahu" way.
Posted 29th Jul in news
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Educational Video "A Place In The Middle" Distributed with Subtitles in China
In a new partnership between the Kumu Hina Project and Queer Comrades, the educational video "A Place In The Middle" is now available online to viewers in China, with Chinese subtitles! Queer Comrades is a project operating under the Beijing Gender Health Education Institute and receives support from the Ford Foundation and the Worldwide Fund Human Rights, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.
Posted 22nd Jul in news
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A Place In The Middle: An Educational Toolkit for Cultural Empowerment & Gender Diversity
This youth-focused educational film is a great way to get K-12 students thinking and talking about the values of diversity and inclusion, the power of knowing your heritage, and how to create a school climate of aloha, from their own point of view!
Posted 14th Jul in news
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And the Winner of the 2014-15 PBS/Independent Lens Audience Award Is: "Kumu Hina"
The winner of this season’s Independent Lens Audience Award, as chosen by voting viewers, is…. Kumu Hina!
Posted 1st Jul in news
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"A Film about the People Who Fit in the In-Between" - Documentary Edge Festival, NZ
"The real Hawai'i lies beneath the tiki cocktails and the souvenir shirts, and there is no better representative of it than Kumu Hina Wong-Kalu."
Posted 29th Jun in news
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On Cameron Croweʻs ʻAlohaʻ and Other, More Important, Indigenous Pacific Films
"Kumu Hina is an actual love story, not just set in Hawaiʻi, but about the very real difficulties of having and sustaining love in a place that is supposed to naturally exude it! Love, or shall we say, aloha, here – expands aloha to ʻohana, community, to the ʻāina. Aloha in this film is lived through Hina’s kuleana to her community and her students at a Maoli charter school in Honolulu. Gender, sexuality, decolonization, and aloha are interwoven themes through the film and through Hina’s personal story. Hina’s struggle in love and life help to tell the larger stories of ways that colonial histories have shaped Maoli lives in intimate ways in the present." - Kumu Hina (http://kumuhina.com/ available on iTunes) -- 2014, Dir. Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson
Posted 23rd Jun in news
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"Staff Picks: What We're Watching" - Teaching Tolerance
A Place in the Middle: The True Meaning of Aloha, a documentary short by Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson, tells the story of a school in Honolulu, Hawaii, that is demonstrating respect for and inclusion of gender-fluid students. The film centers on 11-year-old Ho’onani, who embodies māhū, a Hawaiian term that refers to people who embrace feminine and masculine spirits. Ho’onani occupies “a place in the middle” on the gender spectrum and leads her school’s hula troupe, typically for boys only. Ho’onani’s teacher Kumu Hina—a transgender woman—tells the troupe, “I want every student to know that if you are my student, you have a place to be—in the middle.” A Place in the Middle documents some of the positive outcomes that can occur when schools welcome students with love, harmony and respect (the deeper meaning of aloha). The film also makes the point that this welcome should not be extended despite students’ gender identity or expression, but precisely because of who they are.
Posted 24th May in news
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"Hollywood's Appropriation of Hawaiian Culture" - Janet Mock, MSNBC's So Popular!
So POPular!'s Janet Mock, who is herself a native Hawaiian or Kanaka Maoli, talks about the new film “Aloha,” Hollywood’s continued appropriation of Hawaii and the culture of its native people, and mentions the recent PBS broadcast of KUMU HINA.
Posted 14th May in news
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"Making 'A Place in the Middle' in Every Classroom" - Teaching Tolerance
Many U.S. schools serve groups of kids who are diverse in terms of race, ethnicity, age, religious or non-religious belief, national origin, family situation, ability, sexual orientation and gender identity. This diversity is especially vibrant here in Hawai'i, where many people describe their ethnic background as “chop suey,” Christians are in a minority and gender-nonconforming individuals are not only accepted but are respected and admired for their important role in perpetuating cultural knowledge and traditions.
Posted 6th May in news
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"Transgender Kumu Finds Acceptance Far From Home" - Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Being mahu, or transgender, as well as both Hawaiian and Chinese, defines her identity "in the middle" and is the subject of a documentary film, "Kumu Hina," which premieres nationally on PBS' "Independent Lens" on Monday, May 4, in celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.
Posted 3rd May in news
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"Kumu Hina and A Place in the Middle: New Inspiring Films Explore Gender in Hawaiian Culture" - Welcoming Schools
“Unlike most educational films, it’s not just about kids, it’s for kids,” says Hamer, and Ho’onani narrates much of her own story. Hamer and Wilson have prepared a guide to help teachers facilitate discussions based on the film about “how gender is interpreted by culture, and how instead of just accepting people who are ‘in the middle,’ this culture celebrates them.”
Posted 2nd May in news
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"National PBS Premiere of ‘Kumu Hina’ to Launch Educational Campaign" - Teaching Tolerance
May 4 also marks the launch of an educational campaign from the creators of Kumu Hina. Hamer and Wilson created a 30-minute educational version of Kumu Hina called A Place in the Middle, distributed for free on PBS LearningMedia. Ho’onani’s inspiring story takes center stage in A Place in the Middle. Viewers can commit to making their schools more inclusive and welcoming by taking a #PledgeofAloha—an expression of love, honor and respect for all. Additional educational resources can be found in the free discussion guide that accompanies A Place in the Middle.
Posted 29th Apr in news
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"TRUE LIBERATION" - The Huffington Post
"The Beautiful Way Hawaiian Culture Embraces A Particular Kind Of Transgender Identity" -- Kumu Hina premieres on PBS on Monday, May 4 at 10 p.m. EST (9 PM CST).
Posted 29th Apr in news
