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POSTED: Friday, October 10, 2008
               

     

 

 

”;Patsy Mink: Ahead of the Majority”;         Hawaii         Directed by Kimberlee Bassford         Screens 7 p.m. Oct. 12 and 3 p.m. Oct. 18         **

Conservatives like to say, “;That which doesn't kill you makes you stronger,”; but that goes for liberals as well, especially the particularly feisty, combative types like Patsy Takemoto Mink, the very antithesis of a wimp. This utilitarian documentary-bio of Mink's life makes it clear that she not only overcame every ism-challenge thrown her way—racism, sexism, heightism, ageism and that peculiar Hawaii-is-part-of-the-U.S.?-ism—she managed to incorporate the challenges into her personal platform, in the process aiding all Americans. Her enduring legacy is the Title IX amendment to the Higher Education Act, which made federally funded schools equal-opportunity institutions.

The review screener of “;Patsy Mink: Ahead of the Majority,”; created by Kahala resident and filmmaker Kimberlee Bassford, was extremely rough, but the work-in-progress shows a reflective, PBS-style arc of Mink's life, career and influence upon modern history. It doesn't pull any punches either, particularly when going over her fallings-out with the old boys of Hawaii Democratic officials. This is one of those films in which the subject outshines the production values.

It seems her life was a series of hurdles to leap over, beginning with the Maui-born Japanese-American winning an election as student body president just a few months after the attack on Pearl Harbor. She pursued careers in health and in law, not getting very far in either because she didn't fit the mold. She returned to Hawaii just in time to be drafted into the “;Democratic Revolution”; of the 1950s, and her particular talents turned out to be tailor-made for politics.

Which, frankly, was lucky not just for her, but for all of us.

               

     

 

 

Hawaii International Film Festival         Six films are nominated for the Hawaii International Film Festival's top award, the Halekulani Golden Orchid Award, in the category of documentary feature. The award recognizes artistic and technical excellence and contributions to cross-cultural understanding. Jurors are actor Cliff Curtis of “;Whale Rider,”; “;Fracture,”; “;Sunshine”; and “;Life Free or Die Hard”;; Don King, director of “;Beautiful Son”;; and Grace Lee, anchor at KGMB 9 TV.           » Place: Regal Dole Cannery Stadium 18, except when otherwise noted         » Dates: Thursday through Oct. 19         » Tickets: $10 per film; $9 students, seniors, children, military. Opening- and closing-night films $15. Fast passes also available.         » Call: 550-8457 (TIKS) or visit www.hiff.org Tickets ordered online (print them from your computer) include a $1 service fee.         » Program guides: Available at Starbucks at Bishop and Merchant streets, Ward Center, Kapahulu, Kahala Mall, Manoa Marketplace, Hawaii Kai, Kailua, Kaneohe and Pearl City. Or visit www.hiff.org.                   SUNSET ON THE BEACH         A sampling of HIFF films may be viewed free at this Sunset on the Beach at Queen's Surf in Waikiki. Screenings begin at sundown.         » Saturday: ”;Chief”; (short from Hawaii), “;The Wrecking Crew”; (documentary feature from U.S. about musicians in the 1960s)         » Sunday: ”;The First Hawaiian Snowball Fight”; (short from Hawaii), “;The Legend of Chang Apana”; (short from Hawaii), “;Sparrow”; (feature from Hong Kong; in Cantonese with subtitles)

 

               

     

 

 

CORRECTION         Thursday, October 30, 2008         » The late congresswoman Patsy Mink is largely responsible for the passage of Title IX legislation, not Title XI as originally reported in this article.