Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 20, Number 6, 1 June 2003 — Film on Kamehameha statue restoration airs [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Film on Kamehameha statue restoration airs

Documentary reveals the Kohala community's eleep connection to their beloved mo'i

King Kamehameha: A Legacy Keneweā , a 30-minute documentary that airs on June 11 at 8 p.m. on PBS Hawai'i, chronicles the unification of the North Kohala community in their effort to maintain the community's power to determine the future of their beloved statue of Kamehameha I. The bronze statue of King Kamehameha I, whieh was brought to Kohala in 1883, was painted and repainted for generations by the people of Kohala out of reverence for their favorite son, who was born in Kohala. 'Āinakea was the land where Kamehameha was briefly reared — and the statue' s hand gestures toward this area, to honor this connection. The documentary details the puhlie debate, whieh addressed the need for the statue' s restoration after years of corrosion, and the community banding together to prevent art conservator Glenn

Wharton from stripping off the years of paint on the statue - returning it to its original bronze and gold leaf treatment. "Audiences will eome to understand the people of Kohala and their deep connection to thier beloved statue and how conservator Glenn Wharton's life was forever changed by this experience," said Marilyn Cristofori, Executive Director of the Hawai'i Allianee for Arts Education, co-producer of the documentary. The documentary, whieh was co-produced by Native Hawaiian filmmaker Mary Tuti Baker, was previously screened at the Hawai'i International Film Festival, the Newport Film Festival and the Pacifika New York Hawaiian Film Festival. The documentary project received major funding support from the Honolulu-based Pacific Islanders in Communications and the Corporation for Puhlie Broadcasting. ■

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