Aikāne
Overview
Director Biography - Daniel Sousa
Director and animator Daniel Sousa is an Oscar-nominated animation director who uses the themes embedded in myths and legends to examine archetypes of human nature. Born on Cape Verde, he approaches filmmaking from a painter’s perspective, focusing on the fragility of fleeting moments, memories and perceptions. His work includes Feral, which premiered at Sundance and was nominated for best animated short film at the 86th Academy Award, Fable, which won awards at festivals around the world, and Native Stories, nationally broadcast on PBS. Sousa has taught at the Rhode Island School of Design, Harvard University, The Museum School, The Art Institute of Boston and the Animation Workshop in Denmark. Director and writer Dean Hamer is a New York Times Book of the Year author and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker dedicated to telling stories that emanate from the voices of those on the outside. His documentaries and animated films with Qwaves creative partner and husband Joe Wilson have screened and won awards at Toronto, Tribeca, Berlin, and Annecy, and have been viewed by millions of people on PBS, Netflix, and international broadcast networks. Kapaemahu, Dean and Joe’s previous collaboration with Daniel Sousa and Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, was shortlisted for Best Animated Short at the 93rd Academy Awards. It was subsequently developed into a children’s book, feature documentary, and immersive museum exhibition. Director and producer Joe Wilson, an Emmy and GLAAD Award-winning filmmaker and longtime human rights activist, helped pioneer the movement to use film and media to catalyze community engagement, dialogue and action on a range of often overlooked issues. From LGBTQ equality in small town America to gender diversity in public schools, from cultural erasure in Hawai'i to the criminalization of sexual and gender minorities in the Pacific Islands, Wilson’s Qwaves impact campaigns have helped to elevate and center the stories of affected communities in movements for change and have been supported by the Sundance Institute, Ford Foundation, Pacific Islanders in Communications, ACLU, and Native Hawaiian Education Council. Producer Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu is a Native Hawaiian teacher, cultural practitioner, composer and filmmaker who uses digital media to protect and perpetuate indigenous stories and traditions. Her work has earned a National Education Association Human Rights Award, Native Hawaiian Educator of the year, and White House Champion of Change, and her composition “Ku Haaheo E Kuu Hawaii” is the internationally-known anthem for the protection of Mauna Kea. This is her seventh project with the Qwaves/Kanaka Pakipika team |
Director Statement
From Hawaiian Moolelo to Mythic Dream - Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Producer: I am Kanaka — a native person in an island nation that was illegally overthrown and continues to be occupied by a foreign power. Our survival as indigenous people depends on our ability to know our cultural traditions, to understand our language, and to feel an authentic connection to our history.
I am also mahu, which like many indigenous third-gender identities was once respected but is now more often a target for hatred and discrimination. I want our young people of all genders and sexualities to understand that being their authentic selves, and loving who they love, is not a weakness but a strength, a reason to rejoice not to fear. Filmmaking is my way of fulfilling these responsibilities.
After working with this creative team to convey the Hawaiian legend of Kapaemahu, I was thrilled to join them in expanding the boundaries of indigenous storytelling in Aikāne. By interlacing elements of Hawaiian moolelo with myths, legends, and histories of other cultures, this animated film weaves a fresh narrative in which our island traditions form the foundation for a more welcoming and inclusive future.
*** Why This Film Now - Dean Hamer & Joe Wilson, Directors:
Over the past few years, the world has felt, literally, like it is falling apart. A pandemic swirls, the planet warms, politics regresses and hostilities rise, with no end to the turbulence and strife in sight. In this climate, as love like ours once again becomes love which dare not speak its name, we believe that telling a queer love story with a happy ending is an urgent and beautiful form of resistance.
We are fortunate to live in a place where such stories are part of its history, and to work with friends and colleagues who believe that these stories deserve to be better known. As we searched for a title that would express the depth of the relationship between the two characters in our new film, we realized that the only word that would suffice is Aikāne: the Olelo Hawai'i term of respect for intimate friends of the same sex. Inspired by that unique understanding and embrace, we created an imaginary world that also drew from myths and legends, places and peoples across space and time, in which the characters’ mutual magnetism is celebrated rather than scorned, arousing strength rather than weakness.
We hope this heroic gay romance reflects the world we’d all like to live in – a world where courage has no limit and love has no bounds.
*** The Art of Aikāne - Daniel Sousa, Director and Animator:
Aikāne explores a vast, rich, and colorful world, and I knew I would have to step out of my comfort zone in order to fully embrace it. The main challenge was to orchestrate a fully developed love story with individual character visually through pantomime and action. Set in a mythical fictional world abound with sweeping vistas and underwater environments, our heroes navigate brutal ground combat, shark attacks, dizzying cliff climbs, and swash-buckling sea battles. The connection between the two main characters proved to be essential in grounding the story and providing a focus within such vast scenarios.
One of the most exciting aspects of the visual development was the world-building. Unlike our previous collaboration Kapaemahu, where the aim was to portray Hawai’i as it might have appeared long ago, Aikāne is a fictional tale calling for an imaginary landscape and culture that felt familiar and believable, yet was not specific to any one place or time. I loved exploring the color and light in this world. From the luminous underwater settings, filled with colorful coral and sea life, the island’s brutal and sun-drenched cliffs, to the infernal and cavernous interiors of the invaders’ ship. I am so proud of what we have accomplished, and I can’t wait to share with audiences.
From Hawaiian Moolelo to Mythic Dream - Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Producer: I am Kanaka — a native person in an island nation that was illegally overthrown and continues to be occupied by a foreign power. Our survival as indigenous people depends on our ability to know our cultural traditions, to understand our language, and to feel an authentic connection to our history.
I am also mahu, which like many indigenous third-gender identities was once respected but is now more often a target for hatred and discrimination. I want our young people of all genders and sexualities to understand that being their authentic selves, and loving who they love, is not a weakness but a strength, a reason to rejoice not to fear. Filmmaking is my way of fulfilling these responsibilities.
After working with this creative team to convey the Hawaiian legend of Kapaemahu, I was thrilled to join them in expanding the boundaries of indigenous storytelling in Aikāne. By interlacing elements of Hawaiian moolelo with myths, legends, and histories of other cultures, this animated film weaves a fresh narrative in which our island traditions form the foundation for a more welcoming and inclusive future.
*** Why This Film Now - Dean Hamer & Joe Wilson, Directors:
Over the past few years, the world has felt, literally, like it is falling apart. A pandemic swirls, the planet warms, politics regresses and hostilities rise, with no end to the turbulence and strife in sight. In this climate, as love like ours once again becomes love which dare not speak its name, we believe that telling a queer love story with a happy ending is an urgent and beautiful form of resistance.
We are fortunate to live in a place where such stories are part of its history, and to work with friends and colleagues who believe that these stories deserve to be better known. As we searched for a title that would express the depth of the relationship between the two characters in our new film, we realized that the only word that would suffice is Aikāne: the Olelo Hawai'i term of respect for intimate friends of the same sex. Inspired by that unique understanding and embrace, we created an imaginary world that also drew from myths and legends, places and peoples across space and time, in which the characters’ mutual magnetism is celebrated rather than scorned, arousing strength rather than weakness.
We hope this heroic gay romance reflects the world we’d all like to live in – a world where courage has no limit and love has no bounds.
*** The Art of Aikāne - Daniel Sousa, Director and Animator:
Aikāne explores a vast, rich, and colorful world, and I knew I would have to step out of my comfort zone in order to fully embrace it. The main challenge was to orchestrate a fully developed love story with individual character visually through pantomime and action. Set in a mythical fictional world abound with sweeping vistas and underwater environments, our heroes navigate brutal ground combat, shark attacks, dizzying cliff climbs, and swash-buckling sea battles. The connection between the two main characters proved to be essential in grounding the story and providing a focus within such vast scenarios.
One of the most exciting aspects of the visual development was the world-building. Unlike our previous collaboration Kapaemahu, where the aim was to portray Hawai’i as it might have appeared long ago, Aikāne is a fictional tale calling for an imaginary landscape and culture that felt familiar and believable, yet was not specific to any one place or time. I loved exploring the color and light in this world. From the luminous underwater settings, filled with colorful coral and sea life, the island’s brutal and sun-drenched cliffs, to the infernal and cavernous interiors of the invaders’ ship. I am so proud of what we have accomplished, and I can’t wait to share with audiences.
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