Ke Kahea: An Invitation Into Sacred Space
US | 19 min. | Guam Premiere
Documentary, Cultural, Environmental, Social Issues | GIFF Guide: General Audiences – material suitable for all ages
Synopsis
After receiving a kahea (calling) from ancestral lineages on Maui to create kapa for unearthed iwi kūpuna (skeletal remains), cultural practitioner Aʻiaʻi Bello extended the calling to her circle of women in the community. Those that stepped forth were propelled on a transformative journey, and as they learned to transform the wauke plant into sacred kapa, they found themselves changed in the process as well.
Justyn Ah Chong (Director)
Justyn Ah Chong is a Native Hawaiian filmmaker from Mililani, Oʻahu. After graduating from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts in 2011, Justyn worked as a cinematographer and editor at ʻŌiwi Television Network – Hawaii’s premiere Indigenous broadcast station.
In 2019 his debut narrative short Down on the Sidewalk in Waikīkī screened at over 25 festivals around the world, winning several awards. Most recently, Justyn was involved in producing the George Helm narrative bio-pic, Hawaiian Soul, which won best short at ImagineNative Film Festival, Hawaii International Film Festival, and several others. Justyn is a GIFF alum.
Funding has been provided to Guam International Film Festival, Inc. from Humanities Guåhan and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as part of the federal ARP Act of 2021.