ASSOCIATED PRESS Scott Sorensen, right, of Honolulu-based Coco Palms Pictures, films Glenn Lohrengel of Little Rock, Wash., at the Kalama River in Kalama, Wash. for a video on the area's Hawaiian roots.

Film explores Wash. town’s
Hawaiian roots

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Associated Press

KALAMA, Wash. >>Travelers between Hawaii and the U.S. mainland soon will get to experience this corner of the Pacific Northwest.

A film crew visited this southwest Washington town over the weekend for Hawaiian Airlines, which plans to show an eight- to 12-minute video that will explore the connection between Kalama and its Hawaiian roots. The video will be shown on flights between Hawaii and the mainland later this summer, according to assistant producer Leslie Rennie-Hill of Portland, Ore.

John Kalama, a Hawaiian, settled the town in the 1840s after moving here to work for the Hudson's Bay Co., which had farming and trapping interests in the area.

Because of Kalama's ties to the islands, "this town is known in Hawaii, particularly among the artistic community," said Scott Sorensen of Honolulu-based Coco Palms Pictures.

Hawaiian Airlines routinely shows its passengers feature films of towns in the regions it serves.

"It's great to do these pieces," Rennie-Hill told The (Longview) Daily News. "The people on the airlines enjoy them, and it's fun to do something not normally hyped."

The film crew tagged along with Kalama police officer Curt Pace on tours of the town and the Kalama River. There also were stops at antique stores and the Fireside Cafe at Camp Kalama.

Copies of the film will be available at the local library in about two months.