April 8, 2015

#ProtectMaunaKea


Last year I had the great opportunity of filming in Waimea on the Big Island of Hawai'i. There I got to witness the true meaning of Aloha ʻĀina in action as the people and land continuosly protect and provide for each other. Many of the friends I made during that trip are now engaged in a battle to protect their Mauna Kea. All week people have been protesting the start of construction for the $1.4 billion Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) on the peak of Mauna Kea. Mauna Kea is one of the most sacred places for the Hawaiian people and this telescope will further its desecration.

This footage is from an upcoming documentary on artists Estria Miyashiro and John "Prime" Hina and their Mele Murals project. Uncle Kalani Flores and Auntie Pua Case explain the sacredness and importance of Mauna Kea to a group of students from Kanu o ka 'Āina Learning ʻOhana (KALO) and the Mele Murals staff.

Editor: Tadashi Nakamura
Camera: Justyn Ah Chong & ʻĀina Paikai
Music: Misty Mountain by Humble Soul

March 31, 2015

Budokan of Los Angeles Video


I had the pleasure of making this video for The Budokan of Los Angeles, a massive project headed by the Little Tokyo Service Center. Nine years ago I made a similar video for the campaign as this gym in Little Tokyo has been something that the community has been organizing around for over 20 years.

Please watch and help spread the word about this epic community effort.