Producer of a show about living treasure Irmgard Aluli discovers the power of this untapped television resource
By Catherine Kekoa Enomoto
Star-BulletinTONIGHT a delightful television show airs on revered composer, entertainer and guitar stylist Aunty Irmgard Aluli. Of course, it airs simultaneously with "America's Funniest Home Videos" and "Melrose Place" (7 p.m. on Oceanic channel 53). But, it is the vision-turned-reality of an isle retiree who wrote and produced her own TV program. "Aunty Irmgard and Puamana and I were all just thrilled with what 'Olelo can do," said first-time producer Mandy Bowers, retired library technician at the Kamehameha Schools. "Their professionalism, equipment and everything was just wonderful.
"I have known Aunty Irmgard for many, many years and just always felt her guitar style is unique and should not be lost. This is so that the future generations will have the opportunity to learn and use her guitar styling, if they so wish. The film is an educational thing."
Several years ago, with idea in tow, Bowers had hit the pavement searching for funding for her dream. Then, she discovered she could do the whole production free at 'Olelo, The Corporation for Community Television.
"I had tried for a considerable amount of time - for well over a year - to find financing to do this project," Bowers recalled. "But because I'm not a nonprofit, I wasn't able to. So 'Olelo was the only way I could do it, and they were so helpful. Everyone who worked on the project volunteered their time, plus the facility."
By Ken Sakamoto, Star-Bulletin
"Community building through television - that's exactly what we want to call ourselves," says Lurline McGregor, executive director of 'Olelo.
She urges others to turn TV producer."I would say, without any hesitation, to go and talk with the people at 'Olelo, because they not only steered me through the project, they pursued it. I didn't know what I was doing. If I had known how many people and how much equipment and how much time was involved, I possibly would not have done it. So, all the people involved and 'Olelo, they really get credit for it. I just wish that people knew about 'Olelo," she said.
Lurline McGregor, former executive director of Pacific Islanders in Communications (PIC), also wants more community members to learn about 'Olelo, of which she became honcho in mid-August. She wants more Mandy Bowerses to knock on the smoked glass doors of the 'Olelo headquarters in Mapunapuna.
"Community building through television - that's exactly what we want to call ourselves," McGregor stressed. "We're not so much a passive entity (anymore). We want to go out and bring you here to use our facility, because we have a very clear mission statement that we are here to reach the community with programming by, for and about ourselves."
She also seeks more viewers, so 'Olelo offers new and better programming - PIC interviews and feature films at 8:30 p.m. Fridays; international news in German, Spanish and English (latter at 10:30 a.m. weekdays); user-friendly blocks, such as a native Hawaiian block from 6 p.m. Fridays; plus future programming on Black History Month, Hawaii railroads, and Niihau. Call 'Olelo to be added to mailing lists for program guides and/or a bimonthly newsletter.
The potential is powerful: programming 24 hours daily on five Oahu community-access channels - channels 52 through 56 for Cablevision viewers.
"We're talking 120 hours a day and we're trying to identify all the different communities to increase their voice - keiki interests, elderly," McGregor began cataloging.
So, how does one go about translating onto celluloid a dream, such as a family reunion or grandpa's memoir?
Or, how does one air an amateur documentary on a personal passion, such as the Okinawan festival, outrigger canoe paddling - even making one's treasured family recipe for kugelhopf?
McGregor said to call 'Olelo at 834-0007. Say where you live, so you can reach one of seven Oahu "community project managers," for areas such as West Oahu (Waianae coast), Central/North Oahu (including Kahuku), Kalihi/Pearl Harbor or Windward. Then, run with the camera lens.
"The main thing is we're such an untapped resource," said McGregor. "A few people know about us and use us, but we want everybody to. We want the community to really include us."
To those who feel 120 hours of TV time a day is too big a gift - even intimidating, McGregor said, "My response would be, 'Go for it!' "
And then, a month or two down the line, tune into your own delightful TV vision-turned-reality.
'Irmgard Aluli'
Program: A 47-minute show about a Hawaiian treasure.
