[ STUFFS ]
'Firefly Dreams' Golden
The Japanese feature film "Firefly Dreams" and American documentary "The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition" are the Hawai'i International Film Festival's Golden Maile Award winners, announced last night at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel."Firefly Dreams," directed by John Williams, is a drama about a rebellious teen maturing into a young woman. "The Endurance," directed by George Butler, tells the story of the 1914-16 expedition which caused 28 men to be shipwrecked in the Antarctic.
Honorable mentions went to the Australian documentary "My Mother India," directed by Safina Uberoi; and actor Sakae Kimura for his role as a harsh Japanese army commander in David Cunningham's World War II film "To End All Wars."
Blockbuster Video Audience Awards went to the Chinese feature film "Purple Sunset"; the documentary "Kiho'alu," exploring the world of slack-key guitar; and Lane Nishikawa's short film "Forgotten Valor."
The Aloha Airlines Film & Videomaker Award was presented to Aaron Yamasato for "Blood of the Samurai," an ode to B-action flicks.
Gift from a queen
In the mid-1800s, Queen Emma, the founder of St. Andrew's Priory, planted an ylang ylang tree in the school's courtyard. It was one of her favorite trees, due to a fragrance which now makes it a popular choice in aromatheraphy.Rather than discard the tree's scented foliage, the students use it to create potpourri, mixed with macadamia nuts, citrus oils and other seed pods from plants on campus.
As Christmas nears, the color and scent of potpourri is often used to add an inexpensive and festive touch to homes, and the student are offering the ylang ylang potpourri, at $5 per bag, as one of the items for sale at St. Andrew's annual Queen Emma Festival tomorrow.
The event takes place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Queen Emma Square. There will be games and activities for children and adults, incorporating educational aspects of Hawaiian culture and language, and there will also be craft activities and crafts for sale, a country bazaar with jams, jellies and baked goods, and entertainment.
Admission is free. For more information, call 532-2441.
[DA KINE]
Kaua'i tales on page, stage
Writer Frederick B. Wichman and illustrator Christine Fayé will be at Native Books & Beautiful Things at Ward Warehouse from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. tomorrow to celebrate their newly released book, "Pele Mä: Legends of Pele from Kaua'i," published by Bamboo Ridge Press.The two are in town for the theater production of "Ka'ao Kaua'i: Pele Ma" at Mid-Pacific Institute. Members of the cast will perform a scene from the play and Wichman and Fayé will sign copies of the book.
"Pele Mä" is a collection of stories that tell of the life and exploits of Pele, Kamapua'a, Hi'iaka, Lohi'au and others associated with Kaua'i. "Pele Mä" is not a children's collection as it is filled with sensuality and sexuality, revenge and war that were a part of Hawaiian legend, including the intrigues of the pig-god Kamapua'a and Pele, and the devotion of Hi'aka to her sister and her sister's lover Lohi'au.The final performance of "Ka'ao Kaua'i: Pele Ma," directed by John Wat, takes place 7:30 p.m. tomorrow at the Mid-Pacific Institute Kawaiaha'o Recital Hall. Tickets are $5 and can be reserved by calling 626-1481. A book signing and reception will precede the production, at 7 p.m.
'Ol' Blue Eyes' at Esprit
"An Evening with the Music of Sinatra" opens at 7:45 p.m. today and tomorrow at the Esprit Nightclub in the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel.Conceived by Jack Cione, the revue starring Randy Smith features 28 musical numbers encompassing 50 years of Sinatra's career.
Tickets are $20 at the door. Dinner packages are also available. Call the Sheraton dining desk at 922-4422 for more information.
Letters To The Editor
'To End All Wars' review unfair
It's too bad Burl Burlingame was nowhere to be seen at the Hawaii International Film Festival's opening night screening to witness David Cunningham's "To End All Wars" receive an emotional standing ovation for the amazing piece of work that it is, shot mostly on Kauai using hundreds of Hawaii cast and crew.I'm all for a strong film critique, but I think Burlingame's arrogant, rambling, vicious piece in Friday's Weekend section (11/2) took the word critique to an all-time low. And the editors who allowed him to take on the review show a total lack of good judgment, knowing that Burlingame's reviews have caused upheavals from the community in the past.
The fact is, Burlingame does not have a clue how to truly and objectively review a film. For Burlingame to say that "To End All Wars" would be well-received on Sunday-school movie night is a pompous and ridiculous statement, knowing that the subject matter of the film is challenging for any adult. Burlingame's apparent lack of spiritual depth is evident in this remark. Rather than finding merit in the lead character's spiritual journey in the face of horrendous adversity, he chose to ridicule it.
When this film goes into wide release I think the viewing public will agree that this is a remarkable achievement for Cunningham, a proud accomplishment for Hawaii's film production community, and a shining example of what's possible as Hawaii works to grow this important industry.
Donne Dawson
State Film Commissioner
Hawaii Film Office
'Endurance' tale far from boring
I read Caroline Alexander's book "The Endurance." It was a classic. The lady got it all right. She turned up photos from the period I'd never thought were available. Someone unfamiliar with the Shackleton story might find the motion picture version (reviewed 11/2), presumably a story set to still images, incomprehensible and boring.The tale of HMS Endurance is, quite literally, the greatest survival story ever told. I say this as someone who has operated in the Arctic and Antarctic, in the tropics and on the high seas. I say it against the historical record of Bligh's open boat journey after mutiny on HMS Bounty, and of the Andes survivors' ordeal in the book "Alive!" Shackleton managed to sustain his men's morale despite incredible cold, the terrifying break-up of the pack ice in the Weddell Sea, ravages of killer leopard seals, and ultimately open-boat navigation in tumultuous seas to a rocky, inhospitable seamount on Elephant Island.
From this base, he set off on an 800-mile open sea voyage to a whaling station on South Georgia Island. Despite sickness, malnutrition, and dismal prospects of success, he held forth as an inexhaustible leader to his men.
Shackleton's motivation has been suggested as more for personal glory than a lasting contribution to science. He was funded in part by the Royal Geographic Society, a British scientific organization. His expedition was to be the first trans-Antarctic expedition to cross the entire continent.
It was an age of greatness. An age of sacrifice. The North Pole, South Pole, Titanic, the First World War, on and on. It was, in the estimation of one of my UH professors, an age of "the cult of strenuosity." To have done the deed was often reward in itself.
Some might find the film not quite up to the task, but still might concede the expedition was a terrific adventure story. Yes, quite.
I prefer to leave Sir Ernest Shackleton with the tribute due to a great sea captain, polar navigator and leader without equal. His men followed him to the gates of hell, and he delivered them back to safety. Thus, he earned his everlasting distinction in the past, regardless of the movie image evoked in the present.
It was always my intent to follow his example in the polar regions if the circumstances ever demanded it. Fortunately, they never did.
Mont J. Smith, Captain
U.S. Coast Guard (retired)
Kihei, Maui, Hawaii
Museum description insensitive
Burl Burlingame's, Nov. 2 article of the Bishop Museum at Kalia was extremely distasteful.His remark about having the "local culture served up in an hour or less" screams ignorance and an attitude that is completely pompous.
Burlingame's lack of correct use of identification for certain artifacts deems he is unworthy of writing a reasonable critique of any subject in life. His grotesque recommendation to feature pictures "of one Hawaiian disemboweling another with the weapon," boils my blood.
Mr. Burlingame must have never been to a museum, a place where artifacts and art pieces are displayed, not carnage and warfare.
Adrian Kamali'i
President, 'Ilio'ulaokalani Youth Coalition
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