OHA to host free premiere of its new Maui water rights film

News Release from OHA

KAHULUI (November 6, 2019) – OHA will host a free event tomorrow evening at the University of Hawaiʻi’s Maui College featuring a movie premiere and panel discussion, both focused on highlighting the East Maui community’s decades-long efforts to protect its stream water resources.

The community event, called E Ola I Ka Wai: Elevating Advocacy to Protect Our Precious Waters, is a partnership between OHA and the Waiwai Collective. The event will be held at the Pāʻina Building, UH Maui College from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The event will include the first showing of Hoʻi Ka Wai I Kahi Kūpono, a 29-minute documentary detailing recent victories and other developments in the struggle of Native Hawaiians to return water diverted for nearly 150 years from streams in East Maui. Part of OHA’s Kamakakoʻi documentary series, Hoʻi Ka Wai I Kahi Kūpono is the third film produced by OHA to focus on Maui water issues.

The premiere will be followed by a panel discussion featuring kalo farmers, Maui community advocates and water rights experts. Panelists include Koa Hewahewa, Hōkūao Pellegrino, Ed Wendt, Summer Sylva, and Keʻeaumoku Kapu. The panel will be moderated by Maui County Councilmember Keani Rawlins-Fernandez.

To view the rest of OHA’s Kamakakoʻi films, including our two other water rights documentaries, Ola i ka Wai: Water is Life and Ola i ka Wai: East Maui, please visit: www.kamakakoi.com or www.vimeo.com/kamakakoi.