Papakolea: A Story of Hawaiian Land (1992)

Under constant threat of losing their land to corporate agriculture and federal government control, Native Hawaiians in Papakolea petitioned Congress to protect their land under the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act (1920). Their appeal, initiated by the women of this small squatters community, struggled against poverty and racism to win the support of FDR and the U.S. Congress. Their 1930s victory continues to affect the lives of Native Hawaiians to this day. Their determination to keep their culture alive is told by a few surviving elders. We see the crucial thread that connects events of the past with the political and social conflicts of today's Native Hawaiians who continue to struggle for rights to the islands. Directed and co-written by Edgy Lee, with Emmy Award winning writer, Saul Landau, two-time Academy Award winning cinematographer, Haskell Wexler (Executive Producer for The Institute of Cinema Studies), the film received the prestigious Corporation for Public Broadcasting Silver Award for Independent Programming, the National Education Silver Apple; the International CINE Golden Eagle; and other awards for writing and directing.