Can street art connect a generation of youth to their cultural roots and identity?
For a group of Native Hawaiian kids and the two graffiti artists who helped, filmed by Tadashi Nakamura and produced by Keoni Lee in the documentary “Mele Murals,” set to premiere in Los Angeles on Aug. 5 at the Aratani Theatre, the answer is “yes.”
Against the backdrop of Waimea, a rural community, the story follows Estria Miyashiro, a world-renowned graffiti master who returns home to Hawaii, and John “Prime” Hina, one of Honolulu’s noted street artists. They “tell how their street art has taken them on personal journeys to discover their history, identity and responsibilities as Hawaiian people,” the pic’s description reads.
Through mural painting with local students, the artists seek to capture and uphold the traditions and culture of Native Hawaii.
(Courtesy photo)
Nakamura, who made headlines in 2008 for making it to Sundance as the festival’s the youngest filmmaker, is behind award-winning documentaries like “Jake Shimabukuro: Life on Four Strings.”
“Mele Murals” was produced with Oiwi TV, the state’s first and only indigenous network. Its Los Angeles premiere is presented by the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center and Visual Communications.
The film is an attempt to shed light on a non-tourist perspective on Hawaii and its character, he said. “We wanted to create a story that opens the veil for the viewer to get an intimate look into a genuine modern Native Hawaiian experience,” Nakamura said. “Resilience in the face of colonization, revitalization of the Hawaiian language and culture, and reconnecting and remembering an identity as Native Hawaiians.”
Visit JACCC.org for more information on the film.
