Hula Nation Filmworks - Northwest Film Forum

An independent feature film produced in Hawai`i, directed and written by
Keo Woolford
Contact:
Hula Nation Filmworks
Keo Woolford
310.663.6859
keo.thehulanation@gmail.com
LOGLINE:
When the charismatic host of a cheesy tourist show in Waikiki accepts the challenge of leading a
group of high school boys through the demanding discipline required for a traditional hula festival,
he becomes as much a student as a teacher when he reconnects with the culture of Hawai`i he
previously abandoned.
SYNOPSIS:
As a young boy, Jonny Kealoha studied traditional hula with beloved hula master teacher Auntie
Margaret, who did her best to instill in him the core values of their culture.
Now an adult, Jonny finds himself in the spotlight as the charismatic host of a cheesy Polynesian
luau show in Waikiki. Rife with tacky decor and outdated routines, the show struggles to find an
audience and leaves Jonny completely removed from the sanctity of his childhood hula studies.
Caught up in the trappings of making a living in the “big city” of Honolulu, he lives a monotonous
lifestyle of local dive bars and the empty conquests of eager tourists.
One night, at his favorite hole-in-the-wall, in an area where you would never find a tourist, Jonny
gets the news of Auntie Margaret’s dire condition from the bartender/sage Linda (played by actress
Kelly Hu). It had been years since he had seen Auntie Margaret and upon the news, goes to visit
her. No one is more incredulous than Jonny himself when, at her deathbed, Auntie Margaret
appoints him as her successor to instruct her high school boys’ hula class. Not wanting to
disappoint her once again, Jonny reluctantly takes on the daunting task of leading the boys through
the rigors of the training, discipline and practices of traditional hula, something he knows little
about.
This is much to the dismay of Napua, Auntie’s most accomplished student, who has trained and
graduated as an official hula master teacher and whom was expecting to receive the honor herself.
Challenged to find ways to best teach the boys, Jonny puts them in some compromising situations
as he struggles to keep them and himself on track. Everyday life also serves as a distraction,
Jonny with his job and his lifestyle, and the boys with their various lives. One student, Kaleo,
struggles with his love for football and the unorthodox ways of Jonny's instruction. Another
student, Solomon, is in constant conflict with the ancient traditions of Hawai`i and his Christian
beliefs. Still others, Yosh, Lee and Timo, battle the pressure of following one’s passion versus
others’ expectations, finding time to practice with the burden of family obligations, as well as
dealing with cultural and generational misperceptions. Napua's strict discipline and deep
knowledge makes their process even more difficult, stressing the idea that hula is more than just a
dance. It is a lifestyle and a traditional to be taken seriously and with pride.
In the process, everyone learns to work together as they prepare to present their dance,
representing countless generations before them.
FILMMAKER’S STATEMENT:
When I was commissioned to write and perform “I Land,” the one-man show which served as the
departure point for The Haumāna, I asked myself the question, “What do I want to say?” The
answer was simple. “I am a proud hula dancer.” The issues surrounding this answer, however,
were not so simple. Hula, like the Hawaiian culture in general, are so often misrepresented and
bastardized that the very mention of the word tends to bring to mind kitschy coconut bras and
grass skirts to most people.
My goal for this film then became to tell an entertaining story about the world of hula without it
being didactic or documentary, to break stereotypes and misperceptions about our culture and the
male identity, and to feature male hula in it’s traditional form. These were all things I had never
seen together in a narrative feature film, especially one from an insider’s perspective. These were
things that I was eager to see on screen.
As a haumana (student) myself, it was very important that the traditions stay pure but also that they
were shown in the context of the cultural landscape of post-modern Hawai`i. Today’s Hawai`i.
Hula is poetic, almost ethereal by nature. However, the hula dancer living in modern times deals
with day-to-day existence like everyone else. They go to work or to school, play sports, cope with
their parents and peers, deal with financial and social issues, fight with their partners and get in
trouble when they do something wrong. These are some of the same things that someone
anywhere else living in America might go through. But instead of playing baseball or basketball,
dancing hula is the passion of choice for these characters.
Therefore, I wanted the film to feel familiar and relatable, like a conventional narrative, even though
the characters and the culture being depicted might be something new and unfamiliar. I chose to
keep any poetic feeling of the film subtle, so that the poetry in the dance could speak for itself,
maintaining that this is not a hula film but a film with hula in it.
I was taught that hula is life. The famous Hula Master Teacher, Maiki Aiu Lake, said, “Hula is the
art of Hawaiian dance expressing everything we see, hear, smell, taste, touch and feel.” When a
version of this saying is referred to by one of the characters, it serves as a reminder that there is
always something more to learn if we are open to it. As a hula dancer, an actor, and now a
filmmaker, I do my best to approach my work and my life with the same attitude. That we are all
students for life.
KEO WOOLFORD
Director, Writer, Producer
NOTABLE CAST:
Jonny Kealoha…...…………………………………………………………………………….TUI ASAU
Yosh…….…….…………..………………………...…………………..TAUARII NAHALEA-MARAMA
Le`e…….…….…………..………………………................................................……JD TANUVASA
Solomon…….…….…………..……………………………………………...……CEDRIC JONATHAN
Timo…….…….…………..………………………...…………………..…CHRISTOPHER LATRONIC
Kaleo…….…….…………..…………………………………………………...…...……SAITIA FAAIFO
Buddy…….…….…………..……………………………………………………...……BUDDY MARTIN
Ulu…….…….…………..………………………........……ULUWEHIIKAWEKIUOKALANI KEAUNUI
Napua…….…….…………..………………………………...…………………...……MARY PA`ALANI
Auntie Margaret…….…………………………………………………………………….MARLENE SAI
and
Linda, the Bartender…………………………………………………………………………..KELLY HU
KEY CREW AND CREATIVE TEAM:
Director/Writer/Producer…………..…….…..………..………………………...……KEO WOOLFORD
Produers…….……………….………….…..……….…………………..….CALEB LUCERO, SKY YIM
Director of Photography………...…………………….….…………SHAWN HIATT, MARK MORGAN
Editor….……………………………………………….…………….………...……..……JIMMY SIRENO
Original Score…………...………………..………….……………..……...GEORGE “Gibi” del BARRIO
First Assistant Director………….……….………...………...……..………………………….TY SANGA
Production Design/Art Director…………………….…..………………………..……...TONY APILADO
Gaffer….……………………………………………….…………….………...……….……KEOKI SMITH
Best Boy….……………………………………………….…………….…………....XAVIER FIGUEROA
Production Sound/ADR/Re-recording Mixer….………….………...……….………….…TOM VISSER
Prop Master….…………………………………………………….…………….………..CEDRIC FUJITA
Script Supervisor…………………………………………………………………………………KIM MI LY
Wardrobe….………………………………………………….…CALISA YUN/CRYSTAL PANCIPANCI
Make-Up……………………………………………………………………………….JORDANN AGUON
DIT….……………………………………………….…………….……….............SEONG KYU WHANG
Colorist….……………………………………………….…………….……….…...…GERARD ELMORE
Choreography/Cultural Consultants..………..……..ROBERT CAZIMERO, LANAKILA CASUPANG
MAELIA LOBENSTEIN-CARTER
NOTABLE CAST BIOS:
TUI ASAU
as Jonny Kealoha
A graduate of Kealakehe High School in Kona, Hawai`i, Tui Asau is a gifted and
dynamic actor who comes from a family with a deep appreciation for the arts.
Born in Helena, Montana, he moved with his family to the islands of the South
Pacific at the age of one, and has lived and visited places like Fiji, Samoa, Tonga,
the Cook Islands, New Zealand, Canada and of course, Hawai`i. Growing up, his
parents surrounded him with music, painting, culture and dance and encouraged
him to always follow his heart and create. So when a series of injuries ended his
budding collegiate football career, Tui followed those words and took up acting
with the same ferocity. He has acted on stage as well as in film, alongside the
likes of names such as Danny Trejo in "Lunar Effect"; appeared in the CW's
"90210"; worked with director Floria Sigismondi (The Runaways); and starred in
"The Son of An Afghan Farmer."
KELLY HU
as Linda, the Bartender
Beautiful Hawaiian actress Kelly Hu parlayed early experience as a model and
beauty pageant winner into a busy career as an actress in television and film.
While a student at Kamehameha High School, Kelly began taking modeling jobs
and entered a local beauty pageant, which led to her being named Miss Teen
U.S.A. in 1985, making her the first Asian-American to hold the title. She scored
her first high-profile acting job when she was cast as Melia, Kirk Cameron's love
interest, on several episodes of the TV sitcom “Growing Pains”.
Kelly began receiving a steady stream of television work, making guest
appearances on such shows as “Tour of Duty”, “Night Court”, and “21 Jump
Street”, before she earned her first film role in “Friday the 13th: Part VIII -- Jason
Takes Manhattan”. Hu's next film assignment would be a bit more prestigious -she played the wife of musician Ray Manzarek (played by Kyle MacLachlan) in
Oliver Stone's “The Doors”. More film and television work followed, including a
brief run in 1992 on the daytime drama “The Bold and the Beautiful”, appearances
on “Melrose Place” and “Murder One”, before she won the role of Michelle Chan
on the action-drama series “Nash Bridges”. She lasted two years on the show; her
next long-term TV role allowed her to make use of her martial arts skills (she holds
a black belt in karate) when she was cast opposite Sammo Hung on the actioncomedy series “Martial Law”. Her subsequent film and TV appearances include
“Arrow”, “NCIS” and “NCIS: Los Angeles”, “Hawaii Five-O”, “Vampire Diaries”, “In
Case of Emergency”, “Sunset Beach”, “Threat Matrix”, “Scorpion King”, “Cradle 2
the Grave”, “X-Men 2”, “Stilletto”, “Farmhouse”, “The Tournament”. She provided
voice talents for the popular video game “Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II
The Sith Lords” as Visas Marr.
MARLENE SAI
as Auntie Margaret
Marlene Sai was discovered by Don Ho at Honey's in Kaneohe. She learned
music as child from her family, especially her uncle Andy Cummings who was a
known composer at the time. She started to tour with a group of musicians
including Don Ho, Sonny Chillingsworth, Gary Aiko and Tony Bee all over Oahu at
the age of 17. Her first recording was made with portable recording equipment in
an outdoor bus barn. At 19 she was headlining in Waikiki and from there moved
on to recording some of Hawaii's most iconic music and landed several acting
gigs. She has portrayed Queen Lili'uokalani several times in film and on stage.
She has recently performed in the Hawaii Opera Theatre's production of Roger
and Hammerstein's South Pacific.
Tauarii NahaleaMarama
JD Tanuvasa
Cedric Jonathan
Christopher Latronic
as Le`e
as Solomon
as Timo
Saitia Faaifo
Buddy Martin
as Buddy
Uluwehiikawekiuokalani
Keaunui as Ulu
Mary Pa`alani
as Kaleo
as Yosh
As Napua
The Boys and Napua - We conducted a search in the hula community in Hawai`i to find the boys in our cast, seeking to
maintain the authenticity of the culture portrayed in the film. A combination of hula dancers, first-time actors and aspiring
thespians, The Haumāna marks the feature film debut for each of them. Mary Pa`alani is a former TV and print model in
Hawai`i who made her feature film debut in Nathan Kurosawa’s The Ride before coming out of “retirement” to play Napua.
NOTABLE CREATIVE TEAM BIOS:
KEO WOOLFORD
Director/Writer/Producer
Keo recently directed the short film Lunchtime which is an official selection at
major film festivals around the world, including Frameline in San Francsico,
Outfest in Los Angeles, the Asian American International Film Festival in New
York. He was garnered the Phred Love Hawai`i Filmmakers Award at Hawaii
Rainbow Film Festival and Special Jury Award at Sicilia Queer Film Festival.
Keo also co-produced and was featured in the award-winning documentary Na
Kamalei: Men of Hula. He most recently directed the critically acclaimed box
office hit, “Three Year Swim Club” at East-West Players in Los Angeles.
As an actor, Keo was most recently seen in the number one box office hit Act
of Valor and as the recurring character Detective/Sgt. Chang on the hit TV
series Hawaii Five-0. He completed an Off-Broadway run and a three-year
national and international tour of his critically acclaimed, award-winning oneman show “I Land”, which is about the journey of a young man who finds his
identity through the traditional art form of hula. Keo has appeared on stage
opposite Elaine Paige and Josie Lawrence as the King of Siam in Rodgers and
Hammerstein’s “The King and I” at the London Palladium in London’s West
End. Keo was also a member of the Hawai`i pop sensation Brownskin and a
part of the Grammy nominated Hobo House On The Hill recording team. He
continues his hula studies as a member or Robert Cazimero’s Halau Na
Kamalei O Lililehua.
ROBERT CAZIMERO
Asscoiate Producer/Choreographer/Hula Consultant
In the 1970's, Robert Cazimero was instrumental in the resurgence of Hawaiian
music and culture. This resurgence began a career that more than thirty five
years later is stronger than ever. Musician, composer, kumu hula...his work in
all of these areas is well-known throughout the world. He graduated as part of
Aunty Ma`iki Aiu Lake’s Papa 'Uniki Lehua. In 1975 he formed the all-male
hula school, Halau Na Kamalei. One of the most respected halau, they have
performed around the world and have won most major hula competitions,
including the prestigious Merrie Monarch competition. Robert’s incomparable,
elegant voice is distinctive, whether he performs solo or with his brother,
Roland as The Brothers Cazimero. Collectively they have released an
unprecedented 36 musical recordings. Their album “Some Call It Aloha… Don’t
Tell,” was Grammy-nominated for Best Hawaiian Music Album in 2005. They
performed as headliners for twelve years at the Monarch Room of the Royal
Hawaiian Hotel, and 2007 marked their 30th annual Lei Day Concert at the
Waikiki Shell with sold out crowds each May 1st. Robert continues into his 36th
year of teaching and performs to sellout crowds around the world both with the
Brothers Cazimero and as a soloist.
MICHAEL LANAKILA CASUPANG
Associate Producer/Choreographer/Hula Consultant
Michael Lanakila Casupang began his study of hula in 1983 under the tutelage
of kumu hula (Hula Master) Robert Cazimero and his hula school, Halau Na
Kamalei. In 1986, he began dancing in Robert Cazimero's Royal Dance
Company in which he danced for six years continuously at the Royal Hawaiian
Hotel for the Brothers Cazimero. As a member of the Royal Dance Company,
Casupang has danced in the United States in California and at Carnegie Hall,
New York. He has travelled abroad extensively in Australia and Japan. In
1995, Casupang graduated as a kumu hula under Cazimero and began his
own hula school, Halau I Ka Wekiu in 1998. Their men were overall winners of
the Merrie Monarch Hula Festival in both 2007 and 2012. At Mid-Pacific
Institute, Casupang began as a choir teacher in 1987, but started to teach hula
at the school in 1988 with an initial enrollment of 16 students. After 18 years,
under the name Pupukahi I Ke Alo O Na Pua (United as One in the Presence
of the Flowers), the hula students of Mid-Pacific Institute have received
numerous awards for their participation in the Hawai'i State Secondary Schools
Hula Kahiko Competition where they have received 9 Overall Winner Awards
and 5 Hawaiian Language Awards.
MAELIA LOEBENSTEIN CARTER
Choreographer/Hula Consultant
Former Miss Aloha Hula, Maelia Loebenstein Carter has hula roots that began
with her family. Her first kumu hula was her maternal grandmother, Mae Ulalia
Long Loebenstein, a respected kumu hula who had learned from her mother,
Ida Pakulani Ka'aihue Kai'anui Long -- who learned from her granduncle, the
hula master Kamawae of Maui. Attending the University of Hawai'i at Manoa,
Maelia also studied hula with Ed Kalahiki, from whom she gained a better
knowledge and confidence in chanting. When Aunty Mae passed on, Maelia
fulfilled her destiny by becoming the kumu hula of their halau, Ka Pa Hula O
Kauanoe O Wa'ahila. She has continued the high standards of her
grandmother, taking honors at Merrie Monarch and other competitions, and
presenting elegant, sophisticated hula wherever they perform.