American Aloha: Hula Beyond Hawai'i

"Hula is really the catalyst for people, no matter where they live, to connect with their home."
Lisette Marie Flanary, producer/co-director/writer

American Aloha: Hula Beyond Hawai'i is a film that explores the art of hula as it lives and thrives on the mainland United States. The film focuses on three kumu hula, or master hula teachers, who continue to perpetuate the Hawaiian culture through the teaching of music, language, and dance in California. Using their individual styles of hula, ranging from traditional to contemporary, these kumu have put their heart and soul into creating an opportunity for people living on these distant shores to connect with their heritage and home in Hawai'i.

Links to Additional Information
PBS's American Aloha: Hula Beyond Hawai'i page
Lehua Film's American Aloha: Hula Beyond Hawai'i page

More About the Film
Director Lisette Flanary shares, "I was moved when I saw so many communities so far from home, and yet so passionate about their culture. Some people had never danced hula until they moved away from Hawai'i and became homesick. For these people, hula is a mental, physical, and spiritual way of connecting to Hawaiian culture."

Sissy Kaio, kumu hula of Hula Halau 'O Lilinoe Na Pua Me Ke Aloha in Carson, California, provided the inspiration for the film at its start. Flanary shares, "When I met Sissy, I knew that something very magical would come out of making this film. She and her halau were so open, so giving, and so much the reason why this film was so important to make. As soon as you step into a room with her, it’s like you feel you are a part of the family."

A believer of the Hawaiian proverb "A'ohe pau ka 'ike i ka halau ho'okahi (not all knowledge is taught in one school)," Flanary spent time conversing with other mainland kumu hula to better understand their philosophies behind hula, their personalities, and their personal history with the dance.

In order to keep the film to an hour in length for public television broadcast, Flanary and co-producer Evann Siebens narrowed in on three kumu hula to tell their story. Kaio was one of the three. The other two kumu were Mark Keali'i Ho'omalu, kumu hula of the Academy of Hawaiian Arts in Oakland, California and Patrick Makuakane, kumu hula and director of Na Lei Hulu I Ka Wekiu in San Francisco.

Flanary comments, "Our three kumu hula portrayed in the film say so much about the past, present, and future of Hawai'i and Hawaiian culture. The hula is a living tradition that continues to evolve today because of Sissy, Mark, and Patrick. They have a foundation in tradition, but are not afraid to be risk takers and challenge themselves creatively."

For Flanary and Siebens, one of their goals was to present the challenges that exist for those living far from home and who still desire to maintain their culture. Flanary says, "The film is a strong testament to the growing sense of empowerment felt by the large and vibrant Hawaiian community living on the mainland that has often been judged by the islander community as 'not as authentic'. Cultural authenticity is a debate facing many cultures today. I hope this film will create a deeper understanding of Hawaiian culture as it lives and evolves away from the islands."