Kumu Hina

I was one of the fortunate ones who had the privileged of watching the world premiere of this film at the Hawaii Theatre. It was night none of us will ever forget, starting with a beautiful love song from the film by Kealli Reichel, a hula by Kumu Hina herself, and then the film.

And what a film it is. Fast paced yet stately, intimate yet unflinching in its brutal honesty. You see Hina is a teacher and a cultural landmark in Hawaii, but she also just happens to be mahu, or what the rest of the world labels as transgender. But in Hina's case its not her "sex" that is different it is her spirit. Yes, she has both male and female personality, but that is exactly what makes her so powerful.

As she teaches the keiki, runs the burial council, and deals with a young husband, we ultimately understand that she is like every person - only stronger!

It ws an honor to see this film.

Simply put, Kumu Hina is a portrait of a Hawaiian transgender hula teacher. At least that's how it was advertised. And although this is true, the movie is also so much more.

It's a movie about being true to oneself no matter what. It's a movie about finding love against all odds. It's a crash course on Hawaiian culture which I knew virtually nothing about and which I found fascinating. It's a troubling picture of how that culture was nearly destroyed by the American colonization. It's an uplifting tale about the healing power of teaching which is able to preserve that culture. It's rare for a documentary to touch so many issues and still be as coherent as Kumu Hina is.

There is only one fault I found in the movie: in many scenes Kumu Hina and her husband speak a native language and there are no English subtitles. This made me feel like I'm missing an important part of this fascinating story.

This is the best documentary I've seen this year.

Although it's likely to be classified as a "transgender film," because the namesake character is mahu, it's really about the universal power of culture to empower youth. And although Kumu Hina is the protagonist, the character who steals is the show is her young student. She is the very manifestation of "girl- power," and it's a joy to see her bloom under Kumu's care.

I know it's a cliché, but this film really did make me laugh and cry - and more. What a fascinating film for adults, but children could also benefit.

It's really impossible to put this film into a particular niche. It's a message that crosses all boundaries.