E Haku Inoa National Public Television Broadcast Premiere
PIC-funded film E Haku Inoa: To Weave a Name will premiere on public television nationwide throughout the month of May. Listing of all airings can be found on the ITVS website: www.itvs.org/television?film=haku-inoa. Please also check your local listings for the most accurate, up-to-date broadcast information.
The film will also be aired by the WORLD Channel as part of the Focus on Asian-Pacific Heritage Month beginning Monday, May 5th: worldchannel.org/programs/episode/e-haku-inoa-weave-name/.
Filmmaker Christen Hepuakoa Marquez was born in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. Christen's family deteriorated when her mother Elena was diagnosed with schizophrenia, and as a young girl she moved to Seattle with her father and brothers. After nearly 20 years of living in the continental U.S., Christen returns to Hawai'i to learn the meaning of her incredibly long Hawaiian name from her estranged mother.
In Hawaiian culture, you don't give a name, you haku inoa. Haku means "to weave," and inoa is the Hawaiian word for "name." For Kanaka Māoli (Native Hawaiians), a name is often considered a sacred extension of a person's identity. Words are artfully woven together to create a poem celebrating the namesake's heritage and destiny. Elena created Christen's name and is the only person who knows its true meaning.
Christen doggedly pursues this piece of her identity, struggling through tears and misunderstandings to unlock the mystery not only of her name, but also of her mother.
Categories: Broadcast