ʻIlima Lady
Debbi Barrett is a humble floral designer for some of the most storied families and prestigious venues of Honolulu, however, her craft is so much more than just arranging flowers.
- Filmmaker(s)
- Shirley Thompson
- Kyeng McGuirk
- Justin Powell
- Category
- Short Film
- Subject Matter
- Women, Culture, Arts & Music
- Region
- Hawai'i
- Year
- 2023
- Website
- https://www.manoafilm.com/portfolio-item/the-ilima-lady-trailer/
Debbi Barrett is a humble floral designer for some of the most prestigious venues and storied families of Honolulu. Debbi has made leis for visiting dignitaries, like First Lady Jill Biden and former President Donald Trump as well as create floral designs for events, like the former governor's inaugural gala. But her craft is so much more than just arranging flowers. She is a keeper of native floral traditions that go back centuries and are rooted in a deep connection to the 'āina (land) and Hawaiian culture of storytelling.The documentary begins from the outside, the viewer sees Debbi as a highly skilled, modern floral designer. As the film progresses, her origin story and the new found interest in spirituality grounded in Native Hawaiian cultural practices deepens her story. Ultimately, this spiritual connection to her artistry is what saves her through a spritiual crisis.
ʻILIMA LADY is a recipient of Production funding from PIC's Shorts Fund.
Kyeng McGuirk - Director/Producer
Kyeng McGuirk is an emerging Korean-American director/producer of documentary films. In 2021, she founded a minority woman - owned production and media company, Mānoa Film and Media LLC. Her goal is to create educational films and content that focuses on empowering woman and under-represented communities in America and Korea. Specifically, she wishes to elevate stories of creative women and document their stories of resilience. Women and artists are at the center of her stories, and she also consciously supports women in all aspects of her filmmaking - behind the camera, making editorial decisions, and providing production support. She supports local filmmaking collectives like Hawai'i Women in Filmmaking and also volunteers as an ad-hoc member of the Smithsonian's SITES/SA (Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service/Smithsonian Affiliations) program.
Shirley Thompson - Editor
Shirley Thompson is a seasoned documentary editor, producer, writer and passionate storyteller, best known for the documentaries, including The Last Rodeo (2022), Embers of Awakening (2021), Savvy (2020), Finding Kukan (2016), Kū Kanana: Stand Tall (2016), Winning Girl (2014), Pidgin: the Voice of Hawai’i (2008), Special Circumstances (2006), Surfing for Life (2000) and It’s Elementary (1996). She co-produces Reel Wāhine of Hawai’i, an Emmy winning series of short films portraying top women filmmakers. A New Orleans native who lived and worked in San Francisco and Dallas, she is based in Honolulu, Hawai’I since 2010. Shirley is a member/owner of New Day Films collective since 1993. As a Latina and daughter of immigrants, she is committed to filmmaking that builds bridges across cultures and communities.
Justin Powell - Cinematographer
