Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 16, Number 9, 1 September 1999 — Damien film to premiere on Moloka'i [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Damien film to premiere on Moloka'i

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By Paula Durbln //11 OLOKA'I: THE Story of A A Father Damien" is the first All feature-length film to take ■ VI full advantage of the specIII tacular setting in whieh the martyred priest lived out his compassion among those doomed by leprosy. The Maui Film Festival presents the Hawai'i premiere of this work Sept. 21 on I

Molokai'i where mueh of the movie was filmed despite the difficulty in transporting equipment over the steep cliffs and treacherous sea isolating the village of Kalupapa. First, however, "Moloka 'i: The Story of Father Damien" will be viewed at a private showing for Kalaupapa residents. Ten of them have already seen the film. As guests of ERA Films, they traveled to Belgium to attend the Belgian world premier. All of Kalaupapa, as well as many

"topside" Molokai'i folks, who live beyond the cljffs, was invited to be in the movie while it was being filmed on loeation. On screen, the locals hold their own among a cast that includes such acclaimed professional actors as Derek Jacobi, Kris Kristofferson, Sam Neill and Peter 0'Toole. Particularly effective was the late Kenso Seki, the unofficial "mayor of Kalaupapa" and 80-something when the film was being made. "Hi, Princess," he ad libbed as an extra totally involved in the scene of Lili'uokalani's visit to the settlement. His greeting was not in the screenplay by John Briley, whose work on "Ghandi" won him an Academy Award, but it was so heartfelt and plausible that the line has reportedly survived the film's final edit. The title role is played by David Wenham, an Australian whose name is not yet a household word in the United States, a definite advantage according to producer Tharsi Vanhuysse of the Brussels-based company, ERA Films. "We found it very important that the public identify with the figure of Damien and not with an actor who plays the part of Damien," he said in a video on making the film. Belgian-born Damien DeVeuster ministered to the patients at Kalaupapa from 1873 until his death from leprosy in 1889. Just after Hawai'i became a state, Kalaupapa's Catholic community began to pressure the Vatican for formal recognihon of his service and self-sacrifice. "If it weren't for him," said storyteller

Makia Malo, a Kalaupapa resident sincel947, "who knows what kind of treatment we would have received? He forced the issue, trying to get money from the crown to improve conditions. Those of us who were sent to Kalaupapa were really in exile. But if we had to be exiled, it was a niee plaee to be." Damien's exemplary life has led to his beatification, a first stage in the Catholic process leading to sainthood. After the Kalaupapa showing of " Moloka'i : The Story ofFather Damien" on Sept. 21, the Moloka'i premiere will be held at the Wallaee Theaters in Maunaloa with public screenings at 2, 5 and 8 p.m. Iickets may be purchased for $10 at the theater. The film will be shown 7:30 p.m. the following day at the Castle Theater of the Maui Arts and Cultural Center. Tickets are $16; for $50 the postpremiere party at MACC's McCoy Studio Theater is included. MACC members and Maui Film Festival Passport holders enjoy a discount. Call (808) 242SHOW (7469) for tickets. The O'ahu screening will take plaee at the Hawai'i Theater Sept. 23. Hckets are $16; the post-premiere party at Indigo Restaurant is included for $50. The Hawai'i Theater adds a $2 restoration fee to the purchase of every ticket. Call the box office at 528-0506 Tues. through Sat., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. All screenings will raise funds for Na Pu'uwai, the Moloka'i General Hospital and the Damien Foundation. ■

Australian actor David Wenham and BrKish star Peter 0'Toole are among the internaMonal cast in "Moloka'l: The Story ofFather Damien."

PHOTO COURTESY: DONNE DAWSON