Island Cowgirls: Two Portraits of Paniolo
Two Hawai‘i Island cowgirls dedicate their lives to caring for their family ranches, but now face uncertain futures.
- Filmmaker(s)
- Liz Barney
- Alison Week
- Category
- Full-Length Film
- Subject Matter
- Identity, Women, Culture & Tradition, Environment & Sustainability
- Featured In
ISLAND COWGIRLS: TWO PORTRAITS OF PANIOLO shares the stories of two Hawaiian cowgirls on opposite sides of Hawai‘i Island, dedicated to caring for their family ranches. Laʻi Bertelmann grapples with accepting a mainland scholarship or staying in Hawai’i after high school to study her culture and be with her Grandfather. Lani Cran Petrie has a balanced land management plan for Kapāpala Ranch, but their state-held lease is up for discussion. Both face uncertainty and wonder whether to stay or leave. Through their unique perspectives, ISLAND COWGIRLS reveals what Hawai‘i stands to lose if they leave.
Alison Week | Co-director, Executive Producer
Alison Week is a freelance filmmaker currently based in Waimea, Hawai‘i who produces both narrative and non-fiction films. Born and raised in Kailua-Kona, she returned to Hawai‘i in 2020 after almost a decade in Austin, Texas where she shot and produced content for commercial and non-profit clients around the world, including Meta, BBC World, NBC/Universal, Business Insider and Issue Television. As a documentary producer, she has been invited to speak at SXSW and the Allied Media Conference, pitch her work at Good Pitch Local – Dallas, and participate in the PBS Young Producers Conference. Her personal film work aims to uplift stories of women in front of and behind the camera, and authentically represent her island home. ISLAND COWGIRLS is her first documentary feature as Executive Producer and Co-Director.
Liz Barney | Co-director, Producer, Cinematographer
Liz Barney is a writer and filmmaker based in Hawaiʻi and Michigan. An unorthodox childhood led to a fascination for understanding different perspectives. She originally moved to Hawaiʻi in 2011 as a teacher, but soon after began documenting the people and places that inspired her.
Since 2014, she has been freelancing full-time for various clients including The Guardian, The Climate Reality Project, Blue Planet Foundation, and The Institute for Human Resources. She has produced and assisted on shoots for various Hawai‘i productions including the Travel Channel, Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority, We Share Hawaiʻi, and National Geographic Travel. From 2017- 2022, she founded Ola Collective, where she trained and led a team of creatives in capturing portraits and commercial content.
ISLAND COWGIRLS is featured in PACIFIC HEARTBEAT Season 12.
It is available to stream on PBS.org through 8/6/2024.
