Lahaina Stories
Following the August 2023 wildfires, several groups and individuals reached out to request our Hui Mo‘olelo workshop and story recording approach as a way to help process the experience. Through a collaborative effort with the Lahaina Restoration Foundation, Hui Mo‘olelo cohort members interviewed highly revered elders of Lahaina. Professional artists then submitted proposals to bring these stories to life as short, animated films. Upon selection by a community panel, artist Sasha Hercik entered a period of project development to infuse her proposal in Lahaina history, culture and sense of place -- ultimately resulting in a freely accessible work created through community engagement. The final animated shorts are scheduled to be unveiled during a free Hui Mo‘olelo Film Festival in February 2025.
Enjoy the stories that will provide the animation's audio track below:
Enjoy the stories that will provide the animation's audio track below:
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Artist Proposal Excerpts
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I am a Kihei-based digital artist with skills in animation, character design, storyboarding and illustration who is passionate about creating visually stunning and engaging art that tells a story.
Being a Maui-based artist, there's always this desire to create art for the community that promotes our culture and furthers the voices of our kamaaina. Art is this complex vessel that allows you to demonstrate your own interpretation with the world of how you experience it, something that is so singular and personal but also meant to be shared, to be seen. Having the opportunity to share Maui's experiences in the light of such a turning point in our history is a humbling, necessary venture that I feel privileged to be a part of. |
- Listening to the Hui Mo'olelo excerpt between Sally Ann Delos Reyes & Lopaka White was a joy. Aunty Sally is a fun, engaging storyteller and Lopaka asks excellent, driving questions. I was almost disappointed when the story was over because of how entertaining her story was. This Mo'olelo has wonderful imagery, and I especially could FEEL the intensity of the deep blue ocean when she described it, could SEE the shelf of rock the shark all Maui residents have heard of slept under, and yet the story is joyous and bright, an honest depiction of growing up here on Maui. Community engagement might include an animation workshop using Procreate (an iPad application) and giving a demonstration of how to animate water.
- Theo Morrison's "The Koa Bench" sounded almost like a bedtime story, and the way she described every beautiful moment from the historic oil lamp, to how she thought the light would've painted the faces of the Hawaiians of years past in a building that no longer exists, to the way her Koa Bench looked in the antique store, every word carried weight and through her story I could see what she was trying to show us. I want the opportunity to bring that story out into the world with images that go along with her words, to animate what she so eloquently described and give everyone a chance to see it too. Community engagement for this piece could be a painting exercise, maybe a workshop on light and shadows because that part sticks out to me the most in her story.
- I was deeply inspired by the imagery and storytelling in the Hui Mo'olelo between Reverend Gensho Hara & Yayoi Hara, even Reverend Hara's soft voice. I could clearly picture the temple he spoke of, being familiar with that area of Lahaina myself, but even if you'd never been there his words painted a lovely mental image that you could almost feel. This excerpt feels like a soft, gentle memory, a sunlit corner of Lahaina that echoes with peace and also highlights the Japanese culture deeply rooted in Hawaii's history, and I feel very inspired to bring this moment to life. For community engagement, I think a collaboration/interaction with community members affiliated with Mise Kimono, Taiko drumming, Izaka Genbe, or maybe the management of the Obon/Matsuri festivals would align well, whether that's a crafting workshop, intro to animation, or even listening/reading the excerpt and painting/drawing your interpretation.
Community Consultations
Project launch & ‘Ōlelo No‘eau meeting
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These will minimally include Sissy Lake-Farm of Maui Historical Society, the Lahaina Restoration Foundation, the storytellers who have inspired this proposal, and others as engaged.
Is your class or group interested in an animation workshop or tutorial by Richard and his team? We have done these with Baldwin High School, UH Maui College and the Youth Task Force, and would love to partner with you to keep going! Let us know. |
Project Timeline
- 6/21/24: Hui Mo‘olelo: Lahaina workshop #1 of 3
- 6/28/24: Hui Mo‘olelo workshop #2 of 3
- 7/5/24: Hui Mo‘olelo workshop #3 of 3
- 7/12/24: Shannon I'i & Amy Petersen of Maui Behavioral Health Wildfire Response (MBHWR)/ Hawai’i State Department of Health coordinate psychological first aid workshop for cohort members led by Michele Navarro Ishiki
- 8/8/24: RFP is released
- 9/16/24: Community panel meeting
- 9/20/24: Contract issued
- 10/3/24: Project Launch & ‘Ōlelo No‘eau meeting with Sissy Lake-Farm, Kalapana Kollars & MPAC
- TBD: Storyteller meetings with Yayoi Hara, Aunty Sally Ann & Theo Morrison
- TBD: Community engagement activity/ activities
- 2/22/25: Target date to unveil animated film short at 2025 Hui Mo‘olelo Film Festival